


Meet the Parents

by Frogster



Series: I Hate You [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Banter, F/M, Family, Fluff, Harry Potter Next Generation, Hate to Love, Hogwarts years, Humor, I HATE YOU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-11
Updated: 2015-10-18
Packaged: 2018-04-14 02:16:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 25,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4546353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Frogster/pseuds/Frogster
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Companion to I Hate You. Before their seventh year, Scorpius invites Rose to meet the Malfoys at the Manor, dredging up old memories along with a brighter look for the future. Later, after they start dating, Rose must reintroduce Scorpius as her boyfriend to her parents and brother while keeping Ron from blowing a gasket. Lots of banter, fluff, and family dynamics. Rose/Scorpius</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. in which Scorpius is not his father and Rose channels her mother

**Author's Note:**

> I'm back! I apologize for the long wait-it's been a very busy month and a half. I truly wanted to get part one finished before this, but got sidetracked. Hopefully the monstrous size of this chapter makes up for the wait! It turned out to be a lot longer than I expected, but I felt that certain things needed to be addressed.
> 
> As promised, this is the first companion piece to I Hate You. This chapter takes place during the summer between Rose and Scorpius' sixth and seventh years, towards the end of their internships. (If you haven't read I Hate You, you should still be able to follow along-Rose and Scorpius have transitioned over the years from rivals to close friends, and are at this point teetering on the brink of something more. If you haven't read I Hate You, though, it would be a good idea to read that story to get some context.)
> 
> Thank you to all those who left kudos and comments on I Hate You; I appreciate your support!
> 
> Thanks as always to the amazing BeanerWeasley and sirenofodysseus, both of whom take time out of their crazy schedules to read over my stories. I appreciate you both so much.
> 
> Without further ado, here is Part One of Meet the Parents. Enjoy!

Part One

_:in which Scorpius is not his father and Rose channels her mother:_

 

His summer internship with St. Mungo's was almost over when Scorpius realized something that should have registered long before.

His parents had never met Rose, and vice versa.

Oh, they had caught glimpses of each other over the years, he knew—that fated first day on Platform 9 ¾, for starters, when Rose's dad had pointed him out to her and Scorpius had wondered who the redheaded girl staring at him was before his father had told him.

However, despite Rose and Scorpius having become friends nearly two years before, and the years of intense rivalry and sparring before that, Rose and his parents had never been formally introduced.

With typical Malfoy determination, he decided he had to rectify that oversight as soon as possible.

After all, Al had met his parents on numerous occasions—he was a frequent guest at the Manor during holidays, although he never spent as much time there as Scorpius did at the Burrow.

That was another thing—Scorpius had met Rose's parents years before, well before they put aside their rivalry and became friends.

Normally, Scorpius might feel a bit of smug satisfaction at having even the slightest advantage over Rose, but not in this situation. His feelings for her aside, she was fast becoming one of his closest friends. It helped that they already knew each other so well from years of pushing each other's buttons, but Scorpius was quickly finding that he truly did enjoy spending time with her—and not just when he was teasing her.

No, Scorpius wanted his parents to meet the girl who was his sparring partner, best friend, and the young woman he loved all rolled into one. And he wanted her to meet his parents for similar reasons.

When his mid-morning break rolled around, Scorpius sent two letters via owl—one to his mother and one to Rose.

_Mum,_

_I realized this morning that you and Dad have never been properly introduced to Rose. Forgive my lapse of good manners; I truly don't know why it has taken me so long to bring her to meet you._

_I realize that it is short notice, but is there any way that we could include Rose in our family dinner tomorrow evening? I could meet up with her after work and we could Apparate straight to the Manor. Don't think you need to put on a fancy production like you do for your dinner parties. Rose doesn't care for ostentatious events and will be more comfortable at a normal dinner._

_I will owl her to ask if she would like to come, but I know she wants to meet you. Personally, I think she's looking forward to any embarrassing stories that you are bound to tell, because she can then hold them over my head for the rest of our lives. I know you won't be able to keep from telling anything embarrassing about me, but please try to refrain from mentioning my more ridiculous stunts. I'll never hear the end of it otherwise, and I would like to maintain some dignity. I can't do that if you and Rose gang up on me._

_Please let me know as soon as possible if dinner with Rose is okay for tomorrow night._

_Scorpius_

And then:

_Rose,_

_In a lapse of my usual good breeding, I seem to have forgotten to introduce you to my parents. It doesn't seem right to me that Al has gotten to enjoy the company of my parents when you haven't, and so I wanted to ask you if you would like to come over to the Manor for dinner tomorrow night. I've owled my mum to ask her if it's all right to have you over, but I'm sure she'll say yes. Unfortunately, she doesn't get enough chances to spread embarrassing stories about my childhood, and since I've deliberately held them from you (except on those occasions where you were present or directly caused my humiliation), she's apt to want to fill you in. I've asked her to censor her stories, but won't hold her to it. It's times like these when her Slytherin side truly shows._

_At any rate, I would love for you to meet my parents and to show you my home. It's a lot quieter than the Burrow, that's for sure—you can actually hear yourself think there. If my mum agrees, it will be a simple dinner, just the four of us._

_Let me know your answer as soon as possible. Hope your day at work is going well._

_Scorpius_

* * *

Within an hour, Scorpius had received answers to both of his letters:

_Scorpius,_

_Your father and I would love to meet Rose. We had actually been wondering when you were going to finally make introductions; if you hadn't by the time school started again we were going to take the initiative and introduce ourselves at King's Cross. We both know you wouldn't have wanted that._

_Tomorrow night will be fine for dinner with your Rose. It will be a low-key affair, as requested, although I can't promise not to tell any embarrassing stories. I will, however, refrain from showing your baby pictures. A shame, really, since you were such an adorable little boy._

_Your father would like me to add that her parents may not take kindly to the invitation since it regards her coming to the Manor. I know he told you about what occurred here when Rose's parents and her uncle were…detained, for lack of a better word. You know, and I know, that he has changed and that he regrets his actions during the war, but Rose's parents may not. They may approve of her friendship with you, but coming to the Manor may be something that they cannot condone, for understandable reasons._

_I am not saying that we would not welcome Rose; I am trying to prepare you in the event that her parents want her to decline the invitation. She may be of age, but from what you have said of her I don't think she would want to go against her parents' wishes. If that is the case, we would be glad to meet Rose at a neutral site._

_Your father also wants me to tell you that you will probably hear from one of Rose's parents regarding the invitation to dinner—most likely her mother. If that is the case, your father would like you to express his regret for those events that took place so long ago and generally make apologies for his crass behavior during their years at Hogwarts. (Why he cannot say it to her face, I have no idea; we see her at various Ministry functions, and no matter what your father may think, I don't think Hermione Granger-Weasley is about to hex him in front of all the Wizarding world for merely apologizing. But that stays between you and me, darling.)_

_Try and let me know by the end of the work day if Rose will be joining us for dinner tomorrow night. We are looking forward to meeting her, regardless of the venue._

_Love,_

_Mum_

Scorpius shook his head at his mother's mention of his baby pictures. He would rather those not see the light of day; he had a reputation to maintain, after all, and Rose would never let him hear the end of it if she caught sight of any of those pictures.

He sobered, however, when his mother brought up the idea that Rose might not be able to come after all. It had never crossed his mind that she would not want to come to the Manor, or that her parents would be against it.

His father had indeed told him of the events at the Manor during the spring of his seventh year when Rose's parents and Harry had been captured and taken to the Manor. Scorpius could tell that his father had glossed over the events as much as possible, for his son's sake as much as his own.

Scorpius could remember waking up as a little boy and hearing his father suffering from nightmares. When Scorpius got older, Draco had told him that the nightmares resulted from the horrible, unspeakable things he had seen and experienced during the war, but hadn't elaborated much. Scorpius had known that his father had been involved in the Second Wizarding War, had been on the wrong side for much of it, and had defected along with his parents at the last minute.

When Scorpius was sixteen, Draco had sat his son down and recounted more of what had led him to his involvement in the war. Draco explained how his initial eagerness to follow in his father's footsteps had cooled to apathy and later disgust soon after receiving the Dark Mark, and how he had only stayed to protect his family. He had seen no other way to survive. Draco further said that some of his nightmares involved Voldemort returning, coming for him and his parents, and brutally killing his parents before finally killing him.

Scorpius knew that the fear of threats to his family formed the bulk of his father's nightmares, but earlier that summer, he had learned of another source of his father's nightmares. His father had again sat him down, saying he hoped Scorpius would forgive him for what he was about to say.

Scorpius had been utterly shocked when his father had told him how Rose's parents and her Uncle Harry had been captured and brought to Malfoy Manor for questioning, how Draco had deliberately (cowardly, in his terms) not confirmed the identities of his three classmates, not wanting to aid the torture that was surely coming but not wanting to help them escape for fear of retribution on himself and his family. Even worse was when Draco had then quietly told his son that Hermione had been tortured by his aunt, and he had stood by and not done a thing.

Scorpius couldn't believe that his father could have been so unfeeling; he knew that he and Rose's mother had been bitter enemies, but surely he didn't condone torture. Scorpius said as much to his father. Draco had looked hurt for a moment at his son's reaction, but quickly pulled the Malfoy mask back over his features.

"Scorpius," Draco had said, looking resigned, "That was one of the turning points for me. No matter my attitude towards Rose's mother and her friends, I have never had a stomach for violence. My aunt was insane and bitterly cruel, and even I knew that she had crossed the line after I saw Granger's blood spilled and it didn't look any different than any other blood spilled during the war. It took me a while to realize it, but by that point I was tired of war. It had taken its toll on me and many in my circle, and I just wanted to be a normal teenager and not have death hovering over myself and my family.

"I sincerely regret my actions—or inaction, as the case here may be—and hope you will be able to forgive me. I have tried to become a better man for your mother's sake—and for yours."

Scorpius had pondered his father's words and finally spoke. "I don't see why you need to ask for my forgiveness. I wasn't there. I think you would be better off asking forgiveness from the people most closely involved. This is a lot to take in, though. It's hard to reconcile the man I know with the boy you were then.

"And yet—you're still okay with me being friends with Al and Rose and the rest of the Weasley-Potters?"

Draco sighed and looked like a great weight had been dropped from his shoulders. "It would be too hard to ask for forgiveness now, I think. I suppose after all, I'm still a coward in many ways. However, I have no problem with your friends. From what you've said of them, they are good people. I am just glad you have found better friends than I ever had as a teenager. Thank you for attempting to understand, Scorpius."

* * *

 

Remembering that conversation with his father made Scorpius realize that inviting Rose over may have not been the best idea. It was still hard to imagine that his father had stood by and watched as his classmate had been tortured, but Scorpius knew that his father had done his best to turn his life around after the war had ended. He never asked his father, and he knew that Draco would never confirm his suspicions, but he wondered if Draco had asked for his son's forgiveness as a way to start forgiving himself.

However, the invitation to Rose had already been sent, and her answer came soon after the letter from his mother.

_Scorpius,_

_I would love to meet your parents and see your home. Al has nothing but good things to say about your parents but thinks your home is more akin to a museum than an actual home. I suppose I shall just have to come and decide for myself. Al tells me you have an enormous library…_

_You do know, however, that I'll have to check with my parents just to make sure it's okay. I may be seventeen, but for some reason they still like to know my plans—that is, if I have any outside of work and family events. Honestly, they were traipsing around England at my age, on the hunt for artifacts that would end the war; you would think that letting me go to a friend's house would be no big deal._

_I can't wait to hear your mother's stories. It's about time I had something on you, since you have heard so many stories about myself when I was younger. (I still haven't forgiven Uncle George for telling about my first time on a broomstick.) This will just make us even._

_And honestly, Scorp, it doesn't take much to be quieter than the Burrow, at least when we're all there. I think the only place louder than the Burrow crammed full of Weasley-Potters and various friends is a stadium at the Quidditch World Cup._

_I sent an owl to mum and am waiting for her reply. I'll let you know what she says as soon as I receive her answer. Hope work goes well for you too. I can't believe our internships are almost over!_

_Rose_

* * *

 

Scorpius was in the middle of finishing one of his last tasks before lunch when one of the receptionists flagged him down, saying an urgent message had just arrived for him.

Hoping that his family and friends were okay, Scorpius tore open the note. It was from Rose.

_Scorpius—_

_Mum owled me back and wants us to Floo to her office on our lunch break. Apparently she has some concerns about me going to the Manor. If your superiors have a problem with letting you leave the hospital, Mum says to tell them that Hermione Granger-Weasley has urgent business with you. They're not likely to go against the word of a member of the "Golden Trio" and Ministry official. Plus, you know what she's like when she's angry. That should be enough reason to come to her office._

_Rose_

At first, Scorpius was relieved that nothing was wrong with his family and friends, but Rose's statement that her mother had concerns with her visiting the Manor was not welcome. He knew the Weasley-Potters had accepted him and liked him, but apparently what had happened decades ago at the Manor still weighed on the mind of Rose's mother, and probably her father as well. Scorpius didn't blame Hermione for her apprehension, but surely she knew that Scorpius was not his father, and that he would never let harm come to Rose if he could help it.

* * *

 

Scorpius' supervisors did initially have a problem with him leaving the premises, but invoking Hermione Granger-Weasley's name quickly changed their tune. After thanking them and promising to return as soon as possible, Scorpius made his way to St. Mungo's Floo network.

He was more nervous about what Rose's mother might say in their meeting than he was upon going to Hogwarts. He didn't think that Rose's mother would forbid them from being friends, but he also hadn't thought of the possibility that inviting Rose to the Manor would dredge up bad memories for Rose's parents, so what did he know?

Luckily, he made it to Hermione Granger-Weasley's office in one piece. He was glad that Rose hadn't thought to owl her father about his invitation—he knew he wouldn't have made it out of a meeting with ex-Auror Ron Weasley in one piece. Ron had warmed to Scorpius more than the young Slytherin initially thought he would, but Ron's loyalty to and love for his family was legendary, along with his temper. Scorpius knew that Rose's father wouldn't believe him if he said that thoughts of Rose's parents' association with the Manor hadn't even crossed his mind when he had asked Rose to come over. Really, dealing with Rose's mother would be the lesser of the two evils—at least Hermione Granger-Weasley had a reputation for being logical and pragmatic, less apt to fly off the handle than her husband.

Scorpius knocked on Mrs. Granger-Weasley's door, and heard her tell him to come in. Rose was already there, and he briefly smiled at her, not willing to risk a hug before he knew how Rose's mother would react. "Mrs. Weasley," he addressed the older woman, inclining his head. Rose's mother did prefer to use a hyphenated version of her name in her professional life, but Scorpius had learned years before that she didn't really mind being addressed as Mrs. Weasley when among family or family friends—except when the Weasley-Potter clan was all gathered together, when addressing one woman as Mrs. Weasley might get the attention of all the other Mrs. Weasleys present. Scorpius just hoped that he still counted among the group of family friends. Plus, even though Rose's mother had repeatedly attempted to get him to call her by her first name, his upbringing required that, at least for this meeting, he should address his friend's mother by her married name.

To his relief, Hermione smiled at him. "Scorpius, how many times do I have to tell you? Please, call me Hermione. Mrs. Weasley just sounds so old—don't tell Molly that—and besides, there are just so many Mrs. Weasleys that sometimes it's just easier to listen for my first name when being addressed."

"I'm sorry," Scorpius said, "but my father always stressed the importance of politeness, especially in difficult situations. It's a hard habit to break."

Hermione snorted, indicating to Scorpius just what she thought of him mentioning his father and _politeness_ in the same sentence, but then sobered and nodded. "Please, sit, both of you."

Rose gave Scorpius a tentative smile before sitting down. Scorpius sat in the chair next to her, facing Hermione across her broad desk. Scorpius didn't envy anyone who faced this formidable woman when accused of wrongdoing. He hadn't committed a crime, and yet facing the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement was terrifying. He was determined not to show it, though, and managed to adopt much of the Malfoy mask—although he figured that Rose could sense his apprehension since she knew him so well.

Across from them, Hermione rubbed her palms into her temples. Looking up, she addressed Scorpius. "I want you to know, Scorpius, that none of my concerns are meant to reflect badly on you," she began. "You've been a friend of my nephew's for years, and more recently, my daughter. You've been to the Burrow countless times, and you must know that you're always welcome there."

Hermione's face looked a little wry as she continued. "You may have been a prat to my daughter over the years," she said, causing Scorpius to glance at the floor, feeling abashed, "but for the most part, it has always been a fairly good-natured rivalry. Except for a momentary lapse in your fourth year,"—here Scorpius knew the tips of his ears were turning red in embarrassment and residual shame—"you have never lowered yourself to the maliciousness that your father was continuously capable of. You are not your father, Scorpius, and I know that. I know you would never hurt Rose. However, for some reason, the thought of her going to the Manor—although under vastly different circumstances—just doesn't sit very well with me.

"I told Rose of my…experiences at the Manor earlier this summer. I'm assuming your father has informed you of the events that transpired as well?"

Scorpius nodded at Hermione, then turned to Rose. "You knew about what happened, and yet you still want to be friends with me?" He was shocked—if hearing the story from his father had upset him, he couldn't imagine what Rose's reaction had been.

Rose nodded at him, squeezing his hand. "You're not your father, Scorpius."

Scorpius nodded in return, closing his eyes and releasing a breath he hadn't even realized he had been holding. Rose's hand slipped from his, and he missed the contact, but she kept two fingers on his wrist as a silent form of support and reassurance.

He looked at Hermione and spoke again. "Are you saying that you won't allow Rose to meet my parents?"

Hermione looked at him quizzically. "I'm not saying that at all, Scorpius. If your request was just to have Rose meet your parents, I would have given my permission gladly. Your father and I may have been enemies, and he was absolutely horrible during our school days, but if he has raised such a fine young man as you—even though I'm sure your mother had a large hand in your development—then I must admit that the man has most likely changed. Plus, as a Ministry official I know that your father—both your parents, really—have helped the Ministry on occasions, and from what I have seen of them both, neither of your parents seem to ascribe to Pureblood ideals. I've met your mother, Scorpius, and she seems like a very kind, capable woman. Rose meeting your parents was never the problem; the problem lies with the Manor."

Scorpius was astounded at Hermione's pronouncement, and it seemed Rose was, too, from the gasp he heard from beside him. He knew that his mother and Rose's had crossed paths a few times in the years since his parents' marriage, but he hadn't realized that Rose's mother no longer seemed to hold as much animosity towards his father as she used to. Time and distance, it seemed, along with the experiences of war, had allowed their animosity to cool.

"Thank you for clarifying," Scorpius began, not really sure how to express his thoughts. "My father _has_ changed. He told me he wanted to be better for my mother and me, and he has done all he could to distance himself from his past actions and beliefs. He and my mother don't ascribe to Pureblood ideals at all. They may like to live comfortably, and enjoy that they are able to, but neither of them believe that Purebloods are superior to everyone else. I don't know that my mother ever really did, and I know that my father hasn't believed in that ridiculous notion since he was about my age. If you can believe it, I think he'd rather remain out of the limelight. He'd rather spend time with my mother and me and a few old friends than venture out into the Wizarding world. He doesn't like the scrutiny that his name still brings."

Hermione nodded. "From what I remember, he never did like having his motives for things picked apart or questioned. Back then, it probably was a reminder that what he had always believed in wasn't true. I'm glad that he and your mother no longer cling to the old ideals. There was far too much of that when we were in school, and I'm glad to see that it's being eradicated now that you and Rose are in school. There will always be pockets of bigots, I know, but things are definitely better."

"My mum did say that she and my father would be glad to meet Rose somewhere neutral. They're looking forward to meeting her. I think my mum wants an excuse to tell embarrassing stories about me when I was a kid, but they do want to meet her. If you and Mr. Weasley don't want Rose to go to the Manor, then maybe we can work it out so we can meet at a restaurant…"

Hermione looked at Rose. "I haven't told your father yet about the invitation. You can imagine what his response would be." Scorpius could tell that Rose was thinking along the same lines that he had, because she looked very nervous and nodded almost timidly.

Hermione then turned back to Scorpius. "I wanted to first give you a chance to say why you think bringing Rose to the Manor would be a good idea. This is a totally different scenario from my last…experience with the Manor. Rose is not me, and you are not your father. If you can convince me that Rose's experience would be vastly different from my own, then I'll give my permission, and deal with Ron's reaction this evening."

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley," Scorpius said, sighing. He hadn't expected this kind of chance to defend his home and family any more than he already had, but in retrospect it was just the kind of thing that Hermione would do, since she was all about justice and fairness.

Plus, it was as good a time as any to make apologies on his father's behalf.

"I'm not exactly sure how the Manor looked when you were there, but I'm sure it looks and feels a lot different now. My father has closed off the…drawing room," Scorpius said, not knowing how to describe the room in any other way. He noticed Hermione's flinch but trudged on. "Honestly, I think he would have razed that part to the ground if he could have, but he didn't dare think about it until after my grandfather died, and by then he realized that the house itself probably wouldn't take kindly to part of it being destroyed. The house is…knowledgeable, in some ways," he said, noticing Rose's look of confusion. "It seems to know what is going on inside and out at all times. Powerful magic. I don't think my father wanted to get tangled up in such a mess, plus I think leaving that area of the house standing yet closed off is a reminder of what happened and why things needed to change.

"I remember when I was little, waking up in the middle of the night to my father having nightmares. He told me that the nightmares mostly involved Voldemort coming for his family and then him, but when he told me about the…events that went on at the Manor while you were there, he let it slip that sometimes, those events give him nightmares as well."

Hermione's eyes went wide and she gasped. She quickly composed herself, though, and motioned for Scorpius to continue.

"When I asked my mum if Rose could come over, she wrote back saying that you and Mr. Weasley might not take kindly to me asking, and I must admit that I hadn't even thought of the connection between you all and the Manor when asking. She understood where you were coming from, and I think my father did, as well. He told my mum to tell me to expect to hear from you after asking Rose. He also said that if I did meet with you to discuss the situation, that I was to tell you that he regrets his actions during the war, especially during that night, and to generally apologize for being an enormous prat during school. I don't know why he can't just tell you himself—maybe he's afraid you'll hex him," he said, deliberately leaving out the fact that his mum thought so too. He was a Slytherin, after all, although a very different breed.

Hermione laughed at his last statement. "An apology from Draco Malfoy—never thought I would get one of those, even secondhand. Tell your father thank you—I know that must have been hard for him to say, even indirectly. I accept his apology. And I'd only hex him if he deserved it," she said, looking slightly smug.

Scorpius grinned at Hermione's expression—she looked just like Rose when she was trying to one-up him. He inclined his head. "I appreciate it. My father definitely has his faults," he continued, "but he is a good man. He is good to my mother and me—he would do anything for us. He has tried his best to overcome his past, and I think he's largely succeeded. He might not express it to the same extent that my mother has, but he wouldn't want to make Rose—or you and your husband, for that matter—uncomfortable if she came to the Manor. He's actually highly amused by the fact that I'm friends with Rose—and with Al, too. He's just glad I've made good friends while at Hogwarts.

"Plus, you know I would never intentionally hurt Rose. I'd never put her into a situation that I thought would be hurtful or damaging to her. I may love to tease her and bicker with her, but I don't want to hurt her. I value my life too much," he said, chuckling.

Hermione smiled slightly. "Thank you, Scorpius. Rose?" she said, turning to her daughter. "What do you think about the whole situation?"

Scorpius was surprised that Rose had stayed silent throughout his and Hermione's conversation. Knowing her, however, her ever-active brain was probably hard at work processing and deciphering the conversation and its implications. Scorpius had often wondered why Rose hadn't been sorted into Ravenclaw, but her next statement proved why she hadn't.

"I would like to go to the Manor, Mum," Rose said, shocking Scorpius and Hermione as well. It really shouldn't have been as surprising as it was—she had been sorted into Gryffindor, after all. "I want to meet Scorp's parents, regardless. Meeting them at the Manor would show good faith that they have changed, however. You're always telling me that it's important to forge ahead—to not forget what happened during the war, but not to let it overshadow everything we do.

"Plus, Al has been to the Manor bunches of times, and he's just fine. You know Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny wouldn't have let him go if they thought there would be a problem.

"Also, Al says they have a magnificent library—that's incentive enough to go on its own, don't you think?"

Once again, Scorpius was impressed by Rose's debating skills. He couldn't help but feel a little smug at the slightly Slytherin bent of her last sentence. Everyone who knew Hermione and Rose knew that they couldn't resist a library.

Hermione, it seemed, was impressed by her daughter's powers of persuasion as well. She nodded and smiled at her eldest child, practically glowing with pride at her daughter's steadfastness and assertiveness. "Very well," she said. "You may go to the Manor."

Rose turned to Scorpius and grinned widely at him, and he grinned back. Hermione wasn't finished, though. "I do have a couple of stipulations, however."

Rose groaned a little, and Scorpius grew nervous. "First, Rose, I want you back home at a decent time. You might not have to work the next day, but I don't want you crawling in at two in the morning. Who knows how your father would react if he heard someone suddenly Apparate into the house in the wee hours of the morning. Also, I want you to be on your best behavior. I won't have Draco Malfoy thinking that I can't raise my children to act civilized.

"And Scorpius, please make sure that my daughter gets home. I don't want to wake up on Saturday morning and find that Rose has seen fit to move into your library."

Scorpius laughed; Rose might want to do exactly that when she saw the Malfoy's library. Rose looked a little put out, but finally chuckled.

"Thank you, Mum," Rose said. "I appreciate this, more than you know."

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley," Scorpius echoed. "I know it can't be easy to agree to this. Thank you for your vote of confidence."

"You're welcome, both of you," Hermione replied. "Now, run along; you'll want to grab a quick bite before going back to work."

Rose and Scorpius stood, Rose going to hug her mother and Scorpius shaking the older woman's hand. "Rose," Hermione said as they were leaving. "Let me tell your father about this tonight, will you? I think it will be better coming from me."

Rose nodded, and the two left.

* * *

 

The next day went by in a blur. Rose had sent Scorpius a quick note confirming their dinner plans, which relieved Scorpius. Hermione must have been able to calm Ron down long enough to make him see sense—either that, or he hadn't wanted to disappoint Rose and his wife. Either way, Scorpius was glad.

Rose had told Scorpius to meet her outside of the Daily Prophet offices just after she got off, and to let her know if something was going to keep him longer. Luckily, his shift ended at the normal time, and he Apparated to meet Rose as soon as he could.

She was waiting for him just outside the office doors, standing under the awning to keep out of the sun and lingering summer heat. Her face lit up when she saw him. "Scorp!" she yelled, running to give him their now customary hug.

"Hey, Rose," he said, hugging her tight. "How was your day? Ready to go?"

"It was great," she said. "I've got some good news, but I was going to wait to tell you until we got to your house."

He noticed that she looked a little distracted—she was fidgeting, twisting her hands together. "What's wrong, love?" he asked. Hopefully she wasn't having second thoughts about coming to the Manor.

"This is going to sound silly, Scorp, but I just hope I look all right. I know you said it was just going to be a low-key dinner, but I can't help but feeling that I should look a little more put together than just work clothes. I usually don't care this much about my appearance, but every time I've seen your parents they have always been dressed to the nines. You are too, most of the time. I can't really compete with that."

He was surprised to say the least—just as she had said, she usually wasn't this concerned with her appearance. She was obviously anxious to make a good impression on his parents, but she needn't be worried. He was confident that his parents would find her charming and wonderful, just as he did.

"Don't worry, Rose. You look great."

That was an understatement. She was wearing dressy shorts that showed off her shapely legs and a sleeveless, dark green sparkly top with strappy sandals. She looked lovely, if a little nervous and flushed from the summer heat.

"My parents will love you; just be yourself," he continued. "They'll be able to notice if you're trying too hard, and while they will most likely give you the benefit of the doubt if you do, things will be much better if you just relax and be yourself."

She nodded absently, trying to compose herself.

Scorpius knew just how to bring back the confident, witty Rose he loved. Hopefully she could recognize on some level what he was doing and not get too angry with him.

Although, an angry Rose was much preferable to a nervous one. An angry one he knew how to deal with.

"Although," he drawled, causing her to look up, a suspicious look spreading across her face at his tone. "Are you trying to celebrate Christmas in July, wearing a green top with your red hair? You might want to watch out, or someone will come and spirit you away to become one of Santa's elves."

Her lips pursed and she huffed, but her eyes were sparkling at the promise of banter. "If they do, I'll just tell Father Christmas himself that you deserve nothing but coal, Mr. Top-of-the-Naughty-List."

He chuckled; his Rose was back. He couldn't help making another crack, though. Something about her just made him want to tease her every day for the rest of their lives, sneaking in hugs and maybe, eventually, kisses whenever possible.

"On second thought, maybe your green shirt is a subconscious way of trying to fit in with a group of Slytherins? Don't worry, love, we don't bite."

She rolled her eyes at his silliness, but her mouth was quirking upwards in a half-smile. "And honestly, my little mongoose, we should be scared of you, what with your immunity to snake wiles and venom," he continued, referring to her Patronus.

He was rewarded with an outright laugh and teasing grin. "You're right to be scared of me, my dearest wolf. Come on; let's descend on your den of snakes, shall we?"

He smirked at her, loving her sharp wit and how she called him her dearest wolf. In lieu of answer, he snaked an arm around her waist and quickly Apparated them away from the streets of Wizarding London.

* * *

 

They landed about a quarter of a mile away from Malfoy Manor. Scorpius wanted her to see the grounds and the outside of the Manor. The Malfoy ancestral home was nestled in the plains of Wiltshire, and on a clear day, one could see for miles around. There weren't many neighbors, which was preferable, especially after the end of the war. The Manor stood in the middle of the grounds, slightly imposing with its Gothic/Victorian façade.

"It's beautiful," he heard Rose whisper. "There's so much space—it makes me feel so small."

"I used to feel the same way, too," said Scorpius.

"Well, we can't all be over six feet tall, Scorpius Malfoy," Rose griped, scrunching her nose in annoyance.

He chuckled. Rose's small stature often annoyed her, but he knew not to underestimate her. Her powerful right hook had taught him that long ago.

"I can't believe how huge the Manor is," said Rose as they drew closer. "Al was right—it does look like a museum. It looks much too big to be comfortable for only two or three people."

"Sometimes there are three or four people in residence—my grandmother Narcissa lives here for about half the year. She's not here now—she likes to spend part of the summer on the Continent with friends or here in England with her sister, my aunt Andromeda. But yes, the house is huge. We only occupy one side of the house. I used to get lost sometimes when I was really little."

"I think it's large enough to house all the Weasley-Potter cousins in their own individual rooms, without having to share. Is it?" asked Rose.

Scorpius chuckled again. "I think so, with a little room reassignment. We'd stick you in the library, of course." He squashed the part of him that protested that on the off chance that Rose and the rest of the Weasley-Potters (or just Rose by herself, for that matter) came to visit him, he'd want her to stay in his room. With him. Preferably in his bed.

Rose huffed at his last statement, but he knew that once she saw the library, she'd never want to leave.

He quite liked the idea of her staying at the Manor permanently, but he knew it was foolish. She cared for him, certainly, but he didn't think she loved him the way he loved her.

_Yet._

* * *

 

Soon enough, they reached the Manor. Scorpius quickly entered, pulling Rose by the hand. "Mum! I'm home!" he called. He knew that she knew he was bringing Rose, but he couldn't help but say proudly, "And I've brought someone I want you to meet."

A tall brunette woman appeared quickly, exiting a hallway to their right. She was elegant and refined, but exuded warmth as she approached Scorpius and Rose. She smiled at Rose before reaching over to hug Scorpius. "Hello, Scorpius, darling, did you have a good day at work?" He nodded absently as his mother stepped back, waiting to be introduced to Rose. He smiled.

"Mum, this is Rose Weasley, my good friend. Rose, this is my mum, Astoria."

Astoria Malfoy, née Greengrass, smiled at Rose again, offering her hand. "Welcome, Miss Weasley. I'm delighted to finally meet you."

Scorpius watched as Rose took his mother's hand. The polite but sincere greeting seemed to have done much to calm the vestiges of Rose's nerves. "I'm glad to meet you as well, Mrs. Malfoy. Thank you for having me."

Astoria nodded. "Of course, Miss Weasley. It's our pleasure. My husband and I are both so glad you could come, especially considering the…circumstances. Your mother had valid reasons for concern; my husband and I would have been glad to have met you somewhere in London, but we're pleased you chose to come to the Manor."

Rose nodded in return, looking a little flustered. Astoria took notice and quickly changed the subject. "I hope you like pasta, Miss Weasley. That will be tonight's main dish. The sauce is specially prepared by myself from tomatoes and herbs from my garden."

"Pasta is one of my favorite dishes, so I'm sure that whatever you have to offer will be delicious," Rose answered, obviously glad for the change of topic. "You have a garden, Mrs. Malfoy? I didn't see it when Scorpius and I walked up."

"Oh, yes, it's a wonderful, large garden. It's on the other side of the house from where you came in. There has always been a garden here, but Draco expanded it as a wedding gift to me. If you would like to see it later, I would be glad to show you."

"I'd like that," said Rose. "And please call me Rose. What kinds of things do you grow? And you said you made the pasta sauce yourself?"

"The garden is broken into different sections—vegetables, fruit trees and bushes, herbs, and flowers. I tend the garden throughout the year—it has always been a favorite hobby of mine. Scorpius used to be quite the helper when he was little," she said, smirking at her son, who was shaking his head. He didn't think his mum would start telling stories about his childhood so soon.

"Mum, Rose hasn't even been here five minutes and already you're telling her embarrassing stories."

"There's nothing embarrassing about helping your mother, Scorpius," said Astoria. Turning to Rose, she continued. "He loved to come out and plant seeds in the spring, although he liked playing in the mud a little too much for my taste. When he was about two, he thought the worms were noodles, and he tried to eat one."

Scorpius blushed a shade of Weasley red while Rose laughed loudly. However, his mother wasn't finished. "When he was about six, he got so mad at the birds that were trying to eat the apples that he spent an entire afternoon devising a bird trap. He told me that the apples were for him and daddy, and them alone."

Rose laughed even more. "Scorp, you never told me about this! I bet you were just an adorable little boy," she said, apparently enjoying seeing him so embarrassed and flustered. "And I guess this explains why you're so good at Herbology," she added.

"Scorpius was very adorable. And he has turned out to be an excellent gardener. He has his own plot, which I tend while he is at Hogwarts.

"To answer your other question, Rose, yes, I do prepare my own sauces and other meals. I enjoy cooking—it's not that different from Potions. While I always hire a house elf or two for extra help when throwing parties, normally I prepare meals for my family. Much of the time, there are just two or three of us here, and it's easy enough to prepare meals for such a small number.

"I hope my husband comes down soon—he's been looking forward to meeting you as much as I have. We've heard so much about you."

It was Rose's turn to blush. "Oh, I hope it's all been good things," she said, apparently not knowing what to do with the fact that Scorpius talked about her to his parents quite often.

"Well, for the past couple of years, it's all been good things," a deep voice drawled from the stairs. "Before that, I'm not at liberty to say."

As if on cue, a tall man with an unmistakable shock of white-blond hair descended the staircase. It looked as if Scorpius had managed to find a Time-Turner and that his own self from twenty-five years into the future was coming towards the three in the hallway. The resemblance between father and son was that acute, down to the angles of their faces, their walk, even their drawl. He nodded at Scorpius and smiled affectionately at his wife, then turned to Rose.

"Pleased to meet you, Miss Weasley. I'm Draco Malfoy." The older man looked faintly amused as he offered his hand to the young witch.

To Rose's credit, she didn't falter at the sight of her family's former nemesis. Taking Scorpius' father's hand, she said clearly, "Likewise, Mr. Malfoy. Thank you for having me."

Draco simply inclined his head towards Rose before clapping Scorpius on the shoulder and saying hello to his son, moving to take his wife's hand as she led them into the informal dining room.

* * *

 

Dinner started off well, with Rose immediately praising Astoria's homemade sauce. After a few minutes of merely eating, Astoria asked Scorpius how his day had went.

Scorpius grinned. "I have some news," he said, and everyone focused on him. "The Head Healer called me into his office today and told me that he and the rest of the staff have been impressed with my work the last few weeks. He said that my hard work has automatically secured me a spot in Healer Training after I graduate from Hogwarts. I'll still have to fill out the application and everything, but it's more a formality than anything."

"Scorpius, that's wonderful! I'm so proud of you," said a beaming Astoria.

"Congratulations, Scorpius. You've earned it," intoned Draco, raising his glass in salute to his son.

"Scorp! That's absolutely marvelous! I told you that you shouldn't worry about getting in," exclaimed Rose, who was grinning from ear to ear.

"Thank you," Scorpius said, nodding towards his parents and Rose.

"You were worried about getting into the program?" asked Astoria.

"Well, it is highly selective. The Healers usually choose one or two interns who they think hold a lot of promise and automatically place them in Healer Training, if they still want to pursue Healing as a profession after Hogwarts. There were so many interns this time that I really didn't know if I had a shot," Scorpius explained.

"And I told him not to worry, that he worked harder than anyone there. He's driven and determined, and he's passionate about his work. Scorp, you were a shoe-in for an automatic spot. And you got it! I knew you would," said Rose, smiling smugly.

Scorpius knew his parents were eyeing him and Rose. "Thanks, Rose," he said. "It feels good to know that I have everything lined up post-graduation. Now I can relax," he said to the rest of the table.

"You can't let your grades slack, though, Scorp. Automatic spot or not, you still have to maintain your grades," said Rose.

"Wouldn't dream of slacking, Rosie. I'm aiming for a clean sweep of you in Potions," Scorpius drawled. He had beaten her in Potions every year by a considerable margin, much to Rose's chagrin.

Rose made a bit of a face at him, then grew silent. The four of them returned to eating, but Scorpius noticed that Rose had a contemplative look on her face. He could practically see the wheels turning in her head as she mused over something.

Draco seemed to notice Rose's thoughtfulness as well, for he asked, "Miss Weasley, is something not to your liking?"

Rose shook herself, coming out of her thoughts. "Oh, no," she hurriedly assured both Draco and Astoria. "The food is absolutely delicious."

"Something is on your mind, then. A question, perhaps? Please, ask away." Draco seemed as cool and unruffled as ever, but Scorpius could tell that his dad was slightly apprehensive at the thought of Rose asking him a question. Scorpius didn't think that she would ask his father something gauche or out of line, but he wasn't prepared for what she did ask.

"There is something…I don't mean to be rude, but I have to ask," Rose began. At encouraging gestures from both of Scorpius' parents, she spoke again. "Mr. Malfoy," she began, turning to face Scorpius' father. "This may seem like an odd question, but earlier this evening, you seemed to know who I was immediately—whether because I look like my parents or because you knew I was coming, I'm not sure. However, you went ahead and introduced yourself to me, when it should be obvious to whoever knows Scorpius and meets you that you're his father."

Scorpius blanched. " _Rose_!" he hissed. Of all the things to ask…he knew she understood the etiquette of introductions, but she seemed to not understand why Draco would state the obvious upon meeting her. His father had obviously recognized her on sight, and probably would have even if he hadn't known she was coming, due to her resemblance to both her parents. She didn't mean her question as a slight, Scorpius knew; she was just simply curious, as she usually was.

He was brought out of his musings by something that was more surprising than Rose's question: Draco chuckled. The former Death Eater and current head of the Malfoy family actually chuckled.

"And you are definitely your mother's daughter," Draco said to Rose, still slightly chuckling. Scorpius snuck a glance at his mother; she looked amused, but curious. Scorpius really didn't know what to think.

"Mr. Malfoy?" asked Rose, who was beginning to blush, realizing that her question had made things awkward. "I'm not sure I understand."

Draco smoothed his features once more, but Scorpius could tell that his father was still amused. "I am sure, Miss Weasley, that you know of your mother's bravery and intelligence." At Rose's nod, he continued. "However, your mother also always had the infernal quality of questioning practically everything she came across, especially when it was something where the nuances escaped her. Always on a quest for knowledge, that Granger," he mumbled. "You seem to have inherited that trait from your mother, along with your looks."

"And her right hook," Scorpius mumbled, unable to keep from commenting.

Draco chuckled again. "Yes, that too. You and your mother have a knack for putting the Malfoy men in their place, especially you, Miss Weasley." He looked at his wife, who looked very much amused at the conversation taking place, and his eyes softened. "Luckily, now I have my lovely wife to put me in my place." He smiled at Astoria, raising his glass to her. She laughed quietly and returned his smile.

"Miss Weasley," he began again, turning to Rose, "My introduction was merely force of habit; I was brought up to politely introduce myself in situations such as these."

Rose nodded, and mumbled a slight apology.

"Don't apologize for curiosity, Rose," said Astoria. "It's a very useful trait. I didn't know your mother in school, being two years younger than her, but of course we all knew who she was. Curiosity certainly helped her and your father and uncle, didn't it?"

At Rose's nod, Astoria continued. "I have met your mother at various Ministry functions, Rose, and she seems like a very intelligent, capable woman. The Wizarding world is lucky to have her."

Rose smiled slightly. "She is. Thank you."

Something dawned on Astoria just then, and her eyes widened. "Please excuse our bad manners, Rose. We've been talking about your mother quite a bit, and I'm sure you grow tired of hearing people talk about her to you?" When Rose acknowledged that Astoria was right with a blush and a nod, Scorpius' mother continued. "Well, then, Rose, tell us something about yourself. Scorpius tells us that you are an intern at the _Daily Prophet_?"

Rose smiled and relaxed, visibly glad for the change of subject. "I am—I work in the crime department. I mostly check facts, fetch files, and copyedit articles, but it's a foot in the door, and everyone seems pleased with my work so far." She turned to Scorpius. "I meant to tell you, Scorp—the department manager told me that he wants to meet with me early next week to review all of my work so far, and I'm pretty sure he was hinting that they want to hire me after graduation."

"That's brilliant, Rose," Scorpius said, and his parents echoed his praise of her. "They'd be fools not to hire you. From what you've told me, you run circles around everyone in that department—you outwork even the reporters who have been there for years! You know it, and I know it, and I'm sure the department head does, too. Plus, you're bound to have already made a list of things you'd like to change in the department."

Rose's eyes narrowed. "List? What list?"

"Oh, come on, Rosie, don't deny that you've made a list of all the areas where the department can improve. Merlin, Rose, you've probably made a list of all the things the entire paper itself needs to fix!"

"I may have thought of a few things that the crime department could stand to change, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to shove them in everyone's face right at the beginning. I'm still just an intern; no one's going to listen to me."

"Rubbish. Your work commands respect, or it should, if anyone in that department has two brain cells to rub together."

"Miss Weasley," Draco interrupted. "What kinds of changes would you like to pursue at the _Prophet_?"

"Well," Rose began, "For years, journalism has been a shell of what it should be, at least at the _Daily Prophet_. Too many reporters cherry-pick facts and deliberately withhold others to manipulate a story to make the public view an event or a person in a specific light. I'm tired of that. The public needs to be presented with all the facts. They deserve the whole story. I aim to give them the whole story—told in an engaging but factual way."

"That's a worthy goal, Miss Weasley," Draco commended, and Astoria nodded her agreement.

"Thank you," Rose said.

"You see? That's why you're such a great candidate for a reporter job—you understand the issues and are determined to correct them. Besides, I thought you would love to go in there, wand blazing, and set things to rights," Scorpius said, grinning.

"It doesn't matter if I want to go in there and change things, this is not the right time. I've only got a week left of my internship. And Scorpius, I thought you told me last summer that going in with wands blazing wasn't the way to effect change."

"I did," Scorpius said, "But that doesn't mean that seeing you charge in like a Muggle warrior wouldn't be funny."

"I bet you'd find it funny," Rose said, grumbling. "But I wouldn't, not if it cost me a job."

"I doubt that they would fire you or refuse to hire you based on a list of things you wanted to change. Tell me, Rosie, what's the first thing you would change? Changing the aim of the paper from a money- and fame-hungry _Daily Profit_ to a voice-of-the-people _Daily Prophet_ , as the name intends?"

Rose laughed, catching his pun. "Touché, Scorp. I'd settle for first getting them to acknowledge all sides of a story before jumping to conclusions. No point in proclaiming yourself a prophet for the people if you aren't representing all of the people."

Scorpius nodded. "So how would you go about changing things? Instead of going in, wand blazing, would you sneak around making small changes—a kind of subterfuge of sorts? How very Slytherin of you, Rosie."

"Scorpius!" she exclaimed in protest. "I do not sneak around when it comes to things like this. I don't enjoy pranking people like James and Fred do."

"Who said anything about pranking?" Scorpius said, affecting a wide-eyed, innocent look. "Although, I bet a box of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes would be just the thing to liven that newsroom up."

"Don't you dare send me a box or get any of my relatives or friends to send me one, Scorpius Malfoy," Rose said, making sure to include as many people as she could in her ban. Knowing Scorpius, he'd send a box with someone who conveniently fell outside of whatever restrictions she had placed and look all confused when she got mad at him, when technically, he had followed her instructions.

Scorpius laughed. "Never fear, Rosie. I wouldn't jeopardize your job. Now that I think about it, you wouldn't be a very good sneak; that bright, crazy red hair of yours would be a dead giveaway."

"Scorpius!" Rose cried. She then turned to his mother, who was opening her mouth to reprimand her son; Draco was trying to hide his snicker. "With all due respect, Mrs. Malfoy, your son can be absolutely insufferable."

"So then don't suffer, Rosie. Enjoy every minute of it," Scorpius drawled, smirking.

Rose turned back towards him, eyes glinting with anger, nose scrunching. She seemed to remember where they were, however, and that her mother had told her not to make a scene.

"Malfoy men can definitely be insufferable, Rose," said Astoria in a calming voice, "but you'll never find anyone more devoted to those they love. That in itself makes up for many of their faults."

Rose mumbled an apology in return, then turned back to Scorpius. "Sorry, love," he said quietly, afraid he'd pushed her too far. "Did I go too far?"

"Nearly," Rose said. "But it's all right. I was getting a little too worked up myself. You have a tendency to do that, you know."

"I do," Scorpius drawled. "But seriously, Rose, you'll make a great reporter. You have what it takes—you see things that the others don't, and they'd be fools to not realize your dedication and ingenuity."

"Thanks, Scorp," Rose said, smiling softly.

The four returned to eating, but soon Scorpius could see Rose's wheels turning again.

"Rose, do you have another question?" Astoria asked.

Rose blushed. "I do, but it's not as ridiculous as the previous one. I merely wanted to know how both of you are involved with the Ministry, since you go to Ministry events. I know neither of you work for my mother's department, or my uncle Harry's either."

"Neither of us are technically employed by the Ministry," replied Astoria. "My husband has assisted them quite a few times over the years; a few years after the end of the war, he decided to give some dark artifacts to the Ministry to be studied in hopes that having an insight to dark magic and wizards might prevent another war. The Ministry has discovered more dark artifacts in the years since, and they have called upon Draco from time to time for his assistance in figuring out what they were used for."

"It is difficult to revisit that period of my life; I would rather forget all that I learned of the dark arts. However, I believe that the Wizarding world—or at least those in charge—should have a working knowledge of such things to prevent war. After the artifacts are studied sufficiently, they are destroyed. I do not want any of those kinds of things in my house. Not only are they inherently evil, but they dredge up too many bad memories," Draco added, looking slightly pained.

"For my part," Astoria continued, "I manage a fund set up by Draco and myself when we were married. I wanted to do something to give back to those hurt by the war, and Draco agreed. We established a fund for the children of those whose parents were killed or gravely injured during the war using part of Draco's inheritance. We assist them with whatever expenses they may have, whether they need help buying school supplies, Quidditch equipment, new robes—dress or regular—or similar needs. We also help them obtain internships and/or employment when they are old enough. It's very rewarding work."

"It is rewarding, helping the children of those I directly or indirectly wronged decades ago. It's a fitting penance, of sorts," Draco said quietly, brow slightly furrowing.

Astoria smiled at her husband. "You are not that man anymore," she said in an equally quiet tone, the atmosphere shifting as both remembered the events of twenty-five years before.

Draco softened again at his wife's calming words. "Due to your influence, my dear," he said, slightly smiling at Astoria, who smiled back.

"It's a wonderful thing you are doing, Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy, truly. I'm sure you've impacted many lives with your generosity. Makes me wish that I worked for a different section of the paper so that I could write a special article about your fund," said Rose.

Draco looked at her sharply, but not unkindly. "Thank you for your kind words, Miss Weasley, but we do not want any publicity. I, for one, would not welcome the scrutiny that would come with such an article. Some people might…misconstrue our motives."

"And if people need the services that the fund provides, they are quietly contacted. We don't want any fuss. Surely you can understand that, Rose?" Astoria added.

"I can. I've lived under scrutiny from the public my entire life. That may be one reason why I want to become a reporter—I know my parents and uncle grow tired of having their entire lives chronicled in the papers. Sometimes it's best to leave people alone and allow them to live their lives away from the limelight," Rose offered.

"Our point exactly, Miss Weasley," Draco said, and then the conversation turned to a less serious subject.

* * *

 

Soon enough, dinner was over. Astoria asked Rose if she would like to see the gardens, and Rose agreed, leaving Scorpius and Draco inside. Draco had settled in their small den with a copy of the _Daily Prophet_ while Scorpius hoped that his mother wouldn't spill all her embarrassing stories to Rose. He couldn't help but peek out the window to see if he could catch sight of his mother and Rose. Too bad he didn't have one of those Extendable Ears—one would have come in handy just then.

Draco eyed his son. "Don't fret, Scorp. I'm sure your mother is just having a nice talk with Miss Weasley."

"That's what I'm afraid of," grumbled Scorpius. "No telling what embarrassing stories Mum has drug up!"

He sobered a bit. "Dad," he began, "What do you think of Rose?"

Draco looked back up from the paper. "She is obviously bright and determined. She puts up with your teasing and gives as good as she gets. She's a charming girl, Scorp. I can see why you like her so much."

"She's amazing," Scorpius said, although that one word didn't do Rose justice. "I was going to take her to the library once she gets back, if that's all right."

"Of course," said Draco. "I'm sure she'll love that."

"Getting her to leave the library will be hard, though. When we were younger I used to tease her that she should just pitch a tent in the library and be done with it, she was there so much. Not much has changed."

Draco and Scorpius talked a little while longer, and then Astoria and Rose returned. Scorpius eyed the two women warily, but neither betrayed what they had talked about.

"Thank you for showing me your gardens, Mrs. Malfoy," Rose said. "They were lovely."

"Of course, my dear. Scorpius? Are you going to show our guest around?"

"I was going to take Rose to the library. I know she's never seen a collection quite like ours."

Rose lit up at the mention of the Manor's library, just as Scorpius knew she would. "Oh yes, please!" she said, beginning to rock back and forth on the balls of her feet in anticipation.

Scorpius chuckled. Rose looked like a kid in a candy shop. After Astoria asked Rose to come say goodbye before she left, they went upstairs to the library.

* * *

 

After taking a quick peek inside Scorpius' bedroom just so Rose could see it, the two made their way towards the library. Huge double doors greeted them, and Scorpius glanced at Rose out of the corner of his eye. "Remember, now, you can't stay in here forever," he joked.

" _Come on_ , Scorp, just open the doors already!" said Rose, wringing her hands in anticipation.

Scorpius threw the doors open, and Rose gasped at what the large room contained. Shelves upon shelves of books wound their way around the vast space; the shelves on the wall stretched from floor to ceiling, and every inch was covered in volumes of all sizes.

" _Merlin_ , Scorpius," Rose breathed, taking it all in. "It's…" she trailed off, for once unable to express what she was feeling.

"Never thought I'd be able to make you speechless," he said. "Who knew that all it would take was the Malfoy collection of books?"

She swatted at him halfheartedly, eyes still taking in all that the room held. In addition to all the shelving, the room also held a couple of tables and chairs for study and two large armchairs—one in each corner of the wall opposite the entrance—for comfortable reading.

Rose turned to Scorpius, her face beaming in sheer happiness. "Scorp, this is absolutely magnificent! You should have brought me here earlier—I think you have more books than me and my mum combined, which is saying something."

Scorpius grinned back, glad that he could put such an adorable expression on her face. He'd never seen her so happy. "This collection has been generations in the making," he said. When she turned back to stare in awe at the room some more, he gently nudged her. "Well, what are you waiting for? Go on in."

"I don't even know where to start," she admitted.

"Come on, I'll show you the different sections. Our Potions section is bigger than all the others, of course—Malfoys have always been known for our interest in Potions. But we have quite a bit on Charms and advanced theories. There are sections on Charms and Herbology—most of those books belong to my mother. We have a large collection of journals from various Malfoys across the generations, and we even have a small section of Muggle literature. There's a huge section on Wizarding history—"

"Wizarding history?" Rose asked. "Do you have books that aren't at Hogwarts?"

"We do," Scorpius answered, and that was enough for Rose to step over the threshold, dragging Scorpius along.

"Show me!" she exclaimed. He quickly found the section, and she quickly set to work poring over the spines. Every once in a while, she would gasp with delight at a title that particularly caught her eye, and Scorpius couldn't help but laugh at her enthusiasm.

"It's a wonder your Patronus wasn't a bookworm," he commented dryly.

Rose looked up at him, scrunching her nose. "Eww. I do _not_ devour books as my sole source of food."

Scorpius couldn't help but smirk—she had walked right into his trap. "Well, then what would you call your habit of getting your nose stuck in a book whenever you have a spare minute?"

She glared at him. "I may _metaphorically_ devour books, but not _literally_." She looked at him superciliously, as if he was stupid for not recognizing the difference between actually subsisting on pages for sustenance and the figurative sense.

He chuckled. "Well, I suppose the Patronus charm doesn't take all of our traits into account," he said pointedly.

To his surprise, she agreed. "No, it doesn't."

He raised an eyebrow at her, and she smirked. "Obviously, it does not, since your Patronus didn't turn out to be a peacock—or a ferret."

He tried to glare at her, but couldn't stay mad. He loved their skirmishes of wit—and he knew she did, too. "Touché, Rose," he merely said.

Scorpius couldn't help but continue the thread of conversation after she had returned to looking at the books. "Although, I still think a dragon Patronus would have suited you just fine."

She snorted, half in amusement, half in irritation.

"Whoa, there, are we getting fired up there, love?" he asked, adapting a wide-eyed, innocent look, as if he had no idea why she was reacting the way she did. "If you're going to shoot flames out of your nose next, please try not to set the books on fire."

She snorted again. "Oh, as if I would ever do that! You know how much I love books."

Yes, he did. "I'm grateful, Rosie. Setting fire to generations of Malfoy books wouldn't be appropriate for a guest."

"I would never destroy something so precious as a book—unless it was riddled with dark magic," she said, eyes sparking as she turned to him. "But I can't promise to not send a lick of fire your way if provoked." She was smirking, obviously enjoying messing with him.

"Why, love, you wound me," he said dramatically. "Do you mean to tell me you love books more than me?"

"Books don't make snarky comments and endlessly tease me," she replied easily.

"Aww, but you love it, Rosie, don't deny it," he said, grinning at her.

She tried to glare at him, but failed just as he had a few minutes earlier. She laughed and turned back to the bookshelf. "Oh!" she exclaimed, catching sight of a well-worn, large tome. " _A Wizarding History of Britain_ ," she read the title in awe, eyes growing wide. "Scorp, you should have brought me here ages ago!"

"Well, if I knew I could become friends with one Rose Weasley just by dangling my family's impressive library in her face, then I would have."

"Honestly, Scorp, I wouldn't have befriended you just because you have a wondrous library," she mused, opening the book and scanning the first few pages.

He raised an eyebrow at her, not quite believing her. She caught his glance and said sheepishly, "Well, maybe it would have helped a little bit…"

Scorpius grinned. "I'm going to grab a book myself; bring whichever books you want to look at over to the armchairs. We still have a few hours before you have to go home."

"I don't think just a few hours will be enough in this place," he heard Rose murmur as he walked towards the Potions section.

He was glad to hear it. He wanted to see her at Malfoy Manor more often in the years to come.

* * *

 

Scorpius and Rose settled in their respective armchairs and sat reading for a couple of hours. Scorpius had chosen a book on healing potions, wanting to learn as much as he could before he began Healer training in earnest the following year. He and Rose called out tidbits of information to each other on occasion, and even debated the use of a certain potion, but for the most part sat in a companionable silence.

All too soon, Scorpius became aware that Rose's visit must soon come to an end. It was well after ten o'clock and they still needed to tell his parents goodnight before he walked Rose out so she could Apparate home. However, he couldn't bring himself to remark on the time, not willing to cut the evening short just yet.

A few minutes later, Rose herself became aware of the hour and reluctantly shut her book. "Scorp," she said quietly, and he looked up at her to see her softly smiling at him. "I've had so much fun tonight, and I don't really want to leave, but I think it's about time for me to go home."

He simply nodded and they got up, both heading to put their books back on their shelves. "Rose, wait. You can borrow a few books if you want."

"Are you sure? I don't want to impose…"

"You wouldn't be imposing at all. I know you want to read more in those books you chose, especially that Wizarding history one."

"Thanks, Scorp!" Rose exclaimed happily, shifting the small stack of books in her arms.

"Notice I didn't say you could take as many as you wanted," he teased. "Don't want you absconding with our entire collection."

She made a face at him, but laughed, and they went downstairs so Rose could take her leave.

* * *

 

Scorpius' parents were still in the den, sitting in companionable silence, both engrossed in books of their own. Astoria noticed Scorpius and Rose first, and promptly put down her book. "Did you enjoy the library, Rose?"

"Absolutely! It's magnificent. Better than the library at Hogwarts, in some aspects, anyway."

"Indeed, Miss Weasley?" Draco asked.

"Oh, yes. No Madam Pince to scold us for talking to loudly or to usher us out after hours. No irritating cousins bent on distracting me. Plus, your collection of Wizarding history is much more complete than anything Hogwarts has."

"I'm glad you enjoyed our collection, Rose. Did you get a chance to look at the section on Muggle literature?" Astoria replied.

"No, I didn't make it that far. There's so much to explore in there—I mostly stuck to the Wizarding history section," said Rose.

"I see. I was actually hoping, Rose, if it's not too much trouble, that you might suggest a few titles to add to our Muggle literature collection? Some of the classics are so well-written and fascinating that I wouldn't mind reading more books by certain authors."

"I'd be happy to. Which authors?"

"I greatly enjoy the works of Jane Austen, for starters. I've read two of her books—one of them was one you let Scorpius borrow last year. I just haven't had time to find the rest of her books."

"Oh, Jane Austen is one of my favorites! I'm guessing you've read _Emma_ , then, since that was the one I loaned Scorp. Which other novel of hers have you read?"

" _Pride and Prejudice_. It was an excellent novel."

"That one is my favorite," Rose beamed, and Scorpius remembered how animated she had been when talking about Jane Austen the year before. "I suppose I would next recommend _Persuasion_ and _Sense and Sensibility_. I have copies of both books, if you would like to borrow them."

"I would appreciate that, Rose. Now if I could just get my husband to read those novels…he prefers to stick to Shakespeare."

"Shakespeare is excellent as well, although I like some of his plays better than others. I try to avoid the historical ones—they get so confusing because it seems like all the characters have the same names, and I could never keep them all straight. His comedies are much better."

"I agree, Miss Weasley. His tragedies have a certain allure about them, as well. He was certainly talented and prolific to have written so many works across different genres," added Draco.

Rose nodded in agreement, and Scorpius' parents seemed to finally notice the stack of books in her arms.

Noticing his parents' glance, Scorpius explained. "I told Rose she could borrow a few books if she wanted—as long as she didn't take the entire collection."

"I do hope it's all right for me to borrow these," Rose said.

"Of course, Rose. Enjoy the books," Astoria said simply.

"We won't even hardly miss them, I think. She'll have them all read by the end of the weekend, I think," said Scorpius jokingly.

Rose rolled her eyes. "I do think I can finish at least one, maybe two, by the end of the weekend. But one of these books I may have to borrow for a little bit longer—my mother has been searching for something similar for the longest time, and so I was going to let her read it first before I delved into it. She's talked about this particular subject so much that I became interested in it as well."

"That's perfectly fine, Miss Weasley. I too hope you enjoy the books. Also, if you finish those books and want to read more about those topics, let Scorpius or even myself or Astoria know what you are looking for, and we will do our best to get those books to you. You—and your mother, even—are welcome to borrow from our collection any time," Draco told Rose.

"Really? Thank you so much, Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy. I appreciate it, and I know my mother will, too," Rose said, grinning. Then she sighed. "Unfortunately, I think it is about time for me to head back home. Thank you again for having me. I enjoyed getting to meet you both and seeing your house, especially the library," Rose continued.

"It was our pleasure, Rose. We are so very glad to have met you at last. You are always welcome here," Astoria answered.

"Thank you for coming, Miss Weasley," Draco added.

Rose nodded. "I will find my copies of those two Jane Austen books as soon as I get home, Mrs. Malfoy, and send them over right away."

"Thank you, Rose. I look forward to reading them."

Rose thanked the Malfoys once again, and Astoria told her to pass greetings along to her parents before giving Rose a hug goodbye. Draco shook her hand, and then Scorpius walked Rose out so she could Apparate back to her home.

"I had so much fun tonight, Scorp. Thank you for inviting me," Rose said softly.

"I'm glad, love. I had fun too. Hopefully you can come over again before school starts again."

"I can't believe we're almost in our last year at Hogwarts. I wonder what the next year will bring," mused Rose.

"No idea, but I'm sure it will be interesting. Never a dull moment with your family," Scorpius said.

"I know. That's one reason I liked coming here—you're not constantly battling for attention and dealing with all the noise. I love my family and having fun with them, but sometimes I want to hear myself think."

Scorpius laughed. "I like how big your family is. Being an only child and not having very many cousins gets kind of lonely sometimes."

"Seems like between the two of us, we get the best of both worlds."

"That we do, Rosie."

They reached a point where Rose could safely Apparate, and Rose threw her arms around Scorpius, hugging him tightly then speaking again. "I just hope your parents liked me," she said quietly.

"Of course they did, Rose," Scorpius said, wondering how she could ever think that they didn't. "My mum will be singing your praises for days, and you even charmed my dad, which is very hard to do."

Rose laughed. "I'm glad. I liked them very much, especially your mum," she said.

They held on to each other for another few moments before Rose pulled back slightly so she could see Scorpius' face. "Bye, Scorp. Thanks again for inviting me. I'm sure I'll see you next week."

"Of course," Scorpius answered, holding Rose close. "I'm glad you came. How does lunch on Tuesday sound?"

Rose said that Tuesday sounded good for lunch, and with a squeeze of Scorpius' hand and a brilliant smile in his direction, she stepped back and spun, Disapparating on the spot.

* * *

 

When Scorpius went back inside the Manor, his parents were still in the den, quietly discussing something. "We're so glad we finally got to meet your Rose, Scorpius," said Astoria. "We hope to see her again soon."

"I'm sure you will, Mum, Dad," he said. "I don't think much will keep her away from that library."

Astoria and Draco both chuckled. "What did you think of her, Mum?" Scorpius asked.

"She's wonderful, Scorpius. She's intelligent and witty, and she holds her own against you. Those things in themselves are enough to endear her to me, but she's also very charming and kind. It's no wonder you love her, Scorpius. She's perfect for you."

Scorpius blanched. He was fairly sure that his parents knew how he felt about Rose, but neither of them had ever voiced their thoughts about it before. "You know how I feel about her?"

"Scorpius, we've known for years. I think I figured out that you liked her before even you did," Astoria said. "You always talked about her, in one capacity or another, first as an annoyance, then as a rival, and now as one of your closest friends. She challenges you, and you need that. You deserve someone who is your equal."

"A Malfoy never settles for less," Draco intoned. "Plus, you willingly set aside your Malfoy pride for her in your fourth year. She obviously means a great deal to you, if you were willing to do that."

"So you approve?" Scorpius asked.

"Wholeheartedly, dear," Astoria answered.

Scorpius sighed. "Thank you. That…means a lot. I know I'm only seventeen, but I already know that she's it for me. I don't want to be with anyone else. I just wish I knew if she felt the same way."

"Scorpius, darling, Rose cares for you a great deal. She was willing to look beyond her family's past experiences with this place and come to meet us on what once would have been considered enemy territory. If she doesn't love you already, she is heading in that direction. Don't give up," Astoria told her son.

"I won't. I'm not going to force her to love me, but I'm going to do everything that I can to show her how much she means to me and how much I want to be with her."

"I don't think you could force Miss Weasley to do anything she didn't want to do. She is definitely worthy of you, Scorpius. You are lucky to have found her at such a young age. I was twenty before I met your mother," Draco added.

"Thank you, Mum, Dad. I'm glad you like her. I think you'll be seeing a lot of her in the future, although whether she comes to see me or the library is anyone's guess," Scorpius joked.

"She'll be here to see both," Astoria said, smiling slightly.

Scorpius certainly hoped so. They still had another year to go at Hogwarts—who knew how much his and Rose's relationship could change in a year's time?

She'd met his parents and had passed the test with flying colors—a rite of passage in any sort of relationship, whether platonic or romantic, but especially for them, with their families' history.

He just hoped he could truly win Rose's heart.


	2. Interlude: Draco & Astoria

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the interlude, as promised. It picks up right after part one ended.
> 
> Thanks to BeanerWeasley and sirenofodysseus for being such awesome betas!

Interlude: Draco & Astoria

That night, as Draco and Astoria got ready for bed, they started to discuss their son and the girl that he had obviously fallen in love with.

"It was wonderful to finally meet Rose," said Astoria as she rubbed lotion into her hands. "It almost feels like we already knew her, since we've heard so much about her from Scorpius over the years, but it was good to meet her in person all the same."

"Yes, I thought tonight went well," Draco answered her as he settled into his side of the bed. "She's good for Scorpius. She's just what he needs."

Astoria looked at her husband and slightly smirked. "So you approve, then?"

Draco frowned a little. "I thought that was clear."

Astoria laughed lightly, patting her husband's hand. "I hope you know, then, that this means you'll have to get used to the idea of the Weasleys being your in-laws."

Draco groaned, leaning his head back against the headboard and closing his eyes. "Merlin, I suppose you're right. This will be awkward at best and painful at worst."

Astoria quirked an eyebrow at Draco.

"I don't have a problem with Granger, honestly," Draco began, turning his wife's hand over so he could hold it. "All Pureblood ideals were expunged from me years ago. She has proved her worth to the Wizarding world and then some. I don't think Potter and the Weasel would have lived out the war without her help, and I don't even want to think about how the war might have transpired if she hadn't been fighting for the right side.

"However, the Weasel is a different matter. As you know, my parents were never on friendly terms with the Weasleys, to put it lightly. Even if my parents had been on friendly or even civil terms with the Weasleys, though, I don't think Ron Weasley and I would have ever been friends. He was always much too brash and…uncultured.

"But for Scorpius' sake, I suppose I shall have to try to be civil," Draco sighed, resigned.

"Yes, you definitely will be. The two of you are grown men. Mr. Potter and you manage to act civilly towards each other, in spite of all that happened in the past. You should be able to act like adults—although I do think limited contact between you and Rose's father might be best for the time being.

"For my part, I'm looking forward to meeting the Weasleys. Hermione Granger-Weasley seems like a wonderful woman, and she's been nothing but gracious the few times I have spoken to her. I can't say I have ever met Rose's father, however," Astoria said.

"You're not missing much," Draco grumbled.

Astoria pinched his hand. "Ow, Astoria! What was that for?"

"What did I say about acting like an adult?"

"Yes, yes, my dear. Wait," Draco said, latching on to something that Astoria had said earlier. "You said I need to start getting used to having the Weasleys as in-laws—do you know something about Scorpius and Rose that I don't? You told Scorpius earlier tonight that you didn't think that Rose had already fallen in love with him, but that she was well on her way there. Are you scheming, Astoria?" He cocked an eyebrow at her.

Astoria grinned cheekily at her husband. After being with him for twenty years, she had adopted quite a few of his habits. "I _might_ have stretched the truth a little bit. I have every reason to believe that Rose is just as much in love with our Scorpius as he is with her. We talked while we were in the garden, and I asked her how she and Scorpius had become such good friends when their rivalry was legendary. From Scorpius' letters home about their interactions and friendship, I had already figured out that she fancied him, but when she became so animated while talking about him in the garden, she confirmed without even knowing it that she is deeply in love with our son. I do think she is slowly figuring out the depth of her feelings for Scorpius. However, I think our son needs to learn to fight for what he wants. He enjoys a challenge—and Rose Weasley has always been his biggest challenge. I don't think it's a question of whether they will get together—I think it's a question of who will make the first move."

Draco smirked at his wife. "My dear, your Slytherin is showing," he said in a low voice. "Not that I mind…"

"Well, I did learn from the best," said Astoria lightheartedly.

Draco smiled at her but then sighed. "Just think—next year Scorp will be a graduate of Hogwarts and will begin his Healer training. I feel old," he grumbled, rubbing his thinning hair self-consciously.

"You're not old," said Astoria. "If you're old, then what does that make me? But I know what you mean," she said. "Time moves too quickly anymore. It seems like just yesterday that Scorpius was helping me in my garden…"

"That _was_ yesterday, Astoria," Draco said.

"Oh, you know what I mean! It seems like just yesterday he was a little boy just starting to display his magic, then going off to Hogwarts, and now he's a man, getting ready to make his way in the world." She teared up a little at the thought of how quickly her little boy had grown.

"At least he is a better man than I was at his age," Draco said. "He definitely inherited the Malfoy pride—although with what he's already done, and has yet to do, his pride is more justified than the pride of any of our ancestors." Draco frowned but went on. "He inherited the Malfoy snark and cleverness, too, but he also cares about people—he got that from you, my dear. He'll make a fine Healer."

"Of course he will," said Astoria. "He's our son—he's bound to succeed at anything he does."

Draco squeezed Astoria's hand, turning to look at her. "I probably do not say it often enough, but I do love you, you know."

"I know," said Astoria quietly. "For all your faults, you've become a good man, Draco. Never doubt that I love you." She kissed him sweetly, quickly, before drawing away and settling back into the bed. Draco kissed his wife's knuckles before settling down beside her. He thought that he must be getting sentimental in his old age.

They said goodnight and turned out the lights. Draco was almost asleep when another thought crept into his mind.

"Merlin. Does this mean we'll have to meet with Granger and the Weasel? Invite them over, even?" Scorpius inviting Rose over had been awkward and difficult enough…

Astoria laughed. "One step at a time, Draco. One step at a time."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Were you expecting Astoria's scheming? What did you think about Draco's comments about Hermione and Ron? Please leave your thoughts on this chapter in a review-they keep me inspired! I won't know if I'm doing a good job unless you review!


	3. in which Scorpius visits the Weasleys and Rose tries to keep Ron from meddling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! I'm extremely sorry you all had to wait over a month for the next installment of Meet the Parents, but this was a tough chapter to write. Ron's character was particularly tough to write-it was hard balancing the teenage Ron with the emotional range of a teaspoon with the adult Ron who has bound to have grown up at least a little.
> 
> There is one more short chapter after this one, which I need to start working on.
> 
> Thanks as always to BeanerWeasley and sirenofodysseus, two of the greatest beta readers a girl could have.
> 
> Disclaimer: Don't own. However, I'd love my very own Scorpius Malfoy, if someone wants to get on that. My birthday *is*tomorrow... ;)
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Part Two

_:in which Scorpius visits the Weasleys and Rose tries to keep Ron from meddling:_

 

"Daddy, are we going to have to talk about how you're going to behave when Scorpius comes over?" Rose asked her father, standing before him with her hands on her hips, ready to do battle if need be to ensure that her father didn't scare her new boyfriend away.

It was two days before Christmas and four days after the Yule Ball, and Rose had invited Scorpius to dinner at her home, wanting to "re-introduce" him to her parents before Christmas at the Burrow. She wanted to make sure that her father wouldn't make a scene in front of their entire family when her extended family discovered that she was now dating Scorpius.

Rose had confessed to Scorpius that she loved him the night of the Yule Ball as the night had drawn to a close. Her confession had sparked a passionate kiss, the first of many to come. Scorpius had then confessed to Rose that he loved her in return, and his confession had sparked another round of kissing. They had been so lost in each other that they had only broken apart when the rest of the students started pouring out of the Great Hall on their way back to the dorms.

Sheepishly, but clinging tight to the other's hand, they had made their way back to the Heads' dorm, where they had quickly changed into pajamas and met back in the common room. They had settled on the couch, talking, cuddling, and kissing for the next couple of hours until they had fallen asleep.

Rose had woken with the sun to find herself tucked in between the back of the couch and Scorpius' side, her head pillowed on his bare chest, one hand curled next to her face and the other beneath him. His muscular arms had snaked around her, hands joining at her hip, and one of her legs was between both of his. A blanket covered them both.

She blushed a little at waking up with him like this, but she couldn't deny how comfortable and warm she was, how right it felt to be held by him. His breath softly wafted through her hair, and she turned her head to look at him. He looked peaceful and content, almost innocent—yet Rose knew the amount of mischief that lurked behind that handsome face. She smiled and made to lay back down again, but a gruff morning voice stopped her.

"I know I'm handsome, Rosie, but didn't anyone ever tell you that staring at a sleeping person is kind of creepy?"

Rose started, then chuckled softly. "I thought you'd like the attention, Scorp," she whispered.

A silver eye cracked open and looked at her. "Yes, well, it's not like I'm that fairytale princess Tow Hite or whatever her name was, you know, the one who was poisoned and placed in that glass casket because she was somewhere between sleep and death? Not only am I alive, but I'm also unabashedly, undoubtedly male." He cocked an eyebrow at her, smirking.

Oh, yes, Rose _definitely_ knew he was male. "Snow White," she answered him automatically. "The girl's name was Snow White. And you're certainly pale enough—and you like apples.

"But yes, there is no doubt you're a male," she said in a low voice, drawing circles on his chest.

He lazily grinned at her. "I could definitely go for being awoken by a kiss, though."

She rolled her eyes at his silliness but happily obliged, pressing her lips to his for a brief second then pulling back before they could get carried away. His other eye popped open and his face softened as he gently smiled at her and ran a hand through her hair. "Love you, Rosie," he mumbled.

"Love you too, Scorp," she said, tracing the line of his jaw, causing him to shiver a little at her touch.

"What time is it?" he asked, yawning.

"It's just after dawn."

"Too early," he mumbled. "Go back to sleep, love."

"Shouldn't we go to our own beds?" she asked. She didn't really want to move, but couldn't help but ask—apparently some of her mother's and Grandma Molly's drillings on impropriety had stuck.

"I'm comfortable where I am. Do you really want to move, Rose?"

"No," she said, blushing a little. "I'm comfortable too. You make a nice pillow, and you've been keeping me warm."

"Then it's settled. We've only got a few more hours before we have to be up, anyway. Mind that hair of yours, though—I don't want to choke on a lion's mane."

Rose playfully slapped him, then settled back down on his chest. She felt Scorpius place a kiss on her hair, and then she drifted off back to sleep, pulled back into slumber by his warm arms and comforting scent.

* * *

 

Rose woke again a few hours later to someone incessantly pounding on the door to the Heads' suite. Scorpius was holding her tightly, and she was loath to move, but she wanted whoever it was on the other side of the door to cease that infernal knocking. She managed to extract herself from Scorpius' warm arms—it took a couple of tries because he kept pulling her back—and went over to the door, pulling it just open enough to stick her head out.

Lily was on the other side, mid-knock. "Oh, there you are, Rosie," she said. "Just wanted to let you know, we're all heading down for a late breakfast. Why don't you and Scorpius join us?"

"I think he's still asleep," Rose said carefully—she didn't want to even give Lily a hint that she had spent the night on the couch wrapped in Scorpius. "I'll let him know, and we'll be down there in a bit. Thanks, Lily."

Lily nodded and made her way down the hallway. Rose shut the door, turning to find a bleary-eyed Scorpius looking up at her. "Who's that?" he asked.

"Lily. She wants us to come down for breakfast."

He groaned, but it seemed that his need for food won out over his need for sleep, and soon enough they headed down to the Great Hall.

Rose didn't think anything of the fact that they were walking hand-in-hand until they reached the Great Hall. It felt so natural to be holding Scorpius' hand that she was shocked when they were met with cheers, hoots, and hollers from the students gathered for breakfast. Most of the cheering came from the Gryffindor section, making Rose blush. She caught sight of Knuts and Galleons changing hands, much to her surprise.

She snuck a glance at Scorpius to find him grinning. Of course he would find the whole thing amusing. She detected a bit of pride in his face, too, though—pride that he had finally won her over and that she was by his side. He looked down at her then and his grin softened as he looked at her lovingly. She giggled at him—who knew that Scorpius Malfoy could be such a sap?

In response, he let go of her hand abruptly and snaked an arm around her, bringing her flush into his side. Her arm made its own way around his waist and they walked over to the Gryffindor table together, where Lily, Al, Alice, Hugo, and various other friends and relatives had gathered.

"Finally!" shrieked Lily. "I'm guessing this happened when you two left the ball early?" she asked, motioning between their linked figures.

Rose nodded and Lily squealed in her happiness. "Pay up, Hugo!" she told Rose's brother, who looked disgruntled.

"You bet on us?!" Rose asked as she and Scorpius sat down across from the others.

"Oh, please, Rosie, everyone was betting on you two last night after that dance you shared. Some people have been betting on you for far longer than that, but I'm not at liberty to name names. Hugo said you two wouldn't get together until sometime over Christmas break, or even after the holidays, while I said you two would get together at the end of the ball or right after it. Now, which one of you made the first move?" Lily explained, accepting a few coins from Hugo, who quickly apologized to his sister—although he looked more upset about losing to Lily than offending Rose.

"I did," said Rose, blushing. Scorpius squeezed her side as he struck up a conversation with Hugo.

"Yes!" Lily exclaimed, grinning. "Pay up, Al!"

"Al? You actually bet on us? Your two best mates?"

"I did. Scorp, you idiot, you cost me two Galleons. I bet Lily you'd be the one to make the first move, but she insisted that Rose would."

"I won anyway," Scorpius said, shrugging. "Rosie loves me, Al, did you hear?"

"Of course she does. I've been telling you that she does for the past couple of months, you great prat."

"Aww, cheer up, Al, it's Christmas. No reason to turn into Scrooge just because you lost a couple of Galleons to Lily."

"Wait a minute," said Rose. "Lily, why did you think that I'd be the one to make the first move?"

"Well, Scorpius may have loved you for years, but he's always been somewhat subtle about it all. I figured that after tonight, you would have gotten tired of all the dancing around the issue that you two have been doing for ages and would have just put it out there."

"You were right—although tonight was the first time I actually allowed myself to admit that I love Scorp. I've known it for some time, but I never allowed myself to even think the words." Rose turned to Scorpius. "You've loved me for years, then?"

Rose was surprised to see faint patches of red bloom on Scorpius' cheeks. "Since we were sixteen, at least," he admitted.

"Sixteen…that was how old we were when we became friends," Rose mused. "Did you want to become my friend because you wanted to see if there was a chance that we could ever be together?"

The red patches on Scorpius' cheeks grew darker. "That was part of it," he acknowledged. "But I truly did want to be your friend, whether that was all we would ever be or not."

Rose grinned at him. "Aww, Scorp, you're such a sap," she said, hugging him.

"Only for you, Rosie," he acknowledged.

"Oh please, Scorp, you know you would have chased after Rose for as long as it took to get her to love you," Al said, still somewhat grumpy.

"Scorp? Is that true?" Rose asked. Scorpius nodded and she grinned at him.

"Of course it's true, Rose, he's been head over heels for you for years," Alice commented. "There never really was anyone else for him—we all saw it."

"And heard about it," Al grumbled.

"Hush, Al, can't you just be happy for them?" Alice asked.

"I am happy, see?" Al rejoined, plastering on a fake smile.

"I hope you're tired of chasing, Malfoy, because I'm afraid you're stuck with me now," said Rose, smirking at her boyfriend.

"Wouldn't have it any other way, love," Scorpius answered, and they all tucked into their breakfast.

* * *

 

The rest of the day had been spent hanging out with their friends, with both Rose and Scorpius taking a few minutes to dash off letters to their parents, informing them that they were now dating. Rose had directed hers to her mother, not knowing how her father would react. She had also asked if Scorpius could come over to their house a couple of days before Christmas.

Replies to their letters had come by owl the next morning. Draco and Astoria were delighted, and Astoria had invited Rose to come to the Manor again a couple of days after Christmas. Hermione had sent her congratulations and Ron's as well, although she wrote Rose that Ron had spent thirty minutes after she had told him their daughter's news grumbling about his "baby girl" and "that ferret." Hermione had also said that Scorpius was welcome to come over.

Scorpius was due to arrive in a few hours and therefore Rose wanted to lay out some ground rules regarding her father's behavior. She knew her father had come to actually like Scorpius over the years, and suspected that her father's irritation was due to the fact that she actually had a boyfriend at all and not so much because of who her boyfriend was.

"Well, Daddy?" Rose prompted.

Ron sighed. "Rosie, you have to understand, this is not an easy conversation for a father to have. Especially for me. You're my little girl, and you've never brought a boy home before…"

Rose sighed, although she was glad that her suspicions were confirmed—Ron's dislike of the situation seemed to stem more from the fact that she was his beloved only daughter and not because she was dating a Malfoy. However, she wouldn't hold her breath. "I've never brought a boy home before because Scorp and Al and Hugo made sure they ran my potential boyfriends off," she grumbled.

To her surprise, her dad chuckled. "So young Malfoy was in on the conspiracy to keep you from dating?"

"More like the ringleader," Rose replied. "He only admitted it to me a couple of days ago, but he mainly interfered with my dates because he wanted me for himself. He liked riling me up, sure, but that was his main motivation. Al and Hugo were just being protective."

Ron nodded absently, the corners of his mouth turning up in amusement. Before he could speak, though, Rose thought of something. "See, Daddy, you can admit it—you do like Scorpius. You've gotten along with him better the past few years, anyway."

Ron sighed. "I admit, he has grown on me. But that was as Al's friend, and then your friend. But now, it's a different story, since he's decided he wants to put his ferrety paws on my daughter," he finished with a growl.

Rose held her tongue; it wouldn't do to tell her dad that she actually liked having Scorpius' hands touching her. She didn't want him to have a heart attack.

"Daddy, please," she said instead. "He really is a good guy. He'd never hurt me. He understands me—he knows me inside and out and yet he still loves me. And I feel the same way."

Ron looked at her for a minute, then patted the seat next to him on the couch. "Sit down for a minute, Rosie," he said. When she did, he sighed again and began to talk. "I already told you, this is hard for me. You are my first child, my only daughter. When your mother told me she was pregnant with you I was so excited. Scared, but excited. I think I finally grew up when you came along," he admitted.

"So this is less about Scorpius being a Malfoy, and more to do with me?" Rose asked, wanting to fully confirm what she was thinking.

"I won't deny it, I wouldn't have picked a Malfoy for you. Not that I would pick for you," he hastily added, noting Rose's glare. "You know your own mind, and I don't hold for arranged marriages anyway. But like you said, I already know the kid, although I don't know whether that's a bad thing or a good thing."

Rose laughed—she hadn't decided whether the fact that Scorpius already knew her family was a good or a bad thing either.

"But Rose—" here she knew her father was being serious since he called her by her real name—"I guess in my mind, you should still be five years old and I should be teaching you how to fly on a broom, helping you learn to control your magic, and scaring away monsters from under your bed. But you're not—you're eighteen, you're about to graduate from Hogwarts, and then you'll move on to your career. You'll move out and get married and you won't be around as much."

"Oh Daddy," said Rose. "Are you this irritated at me having a boyfriend because you're scared you're going to lose me?"

Ron nodded, and Rose threw her arms around her father. "Daddy, you are not going to lose me. You and Mum have always taught me that family is a priority. I will move out and get married someday, but today is not that day. Even then, I'll still come back here, because you and Mum are here. I may be growing up, Daddy, but you're not going to lose me. I love you."

Ron hugged her back. "I love you too, Rosie." He pulled back, and a hint of mischief sparkled in his eyes. "You moving out and getting married is probably not as far away as you think, though."

"Daddy!" Rose said, playfully hitting at his arm. "I am only eighteen! I haven't even left Hogwarts yet. I need time to establish myself before getting married."

"You don't know how glad I am to hear that," Ron said. "However, I've seen the way young Malfoy looks at you. Don't look at me like I've grown three heads," he said at Rose's look of confusion. "I may have come late to the party, and I may not usually notice things like this, but I have noticed the way your Scorpius looks at you, the way he treats you. He looks at you like I look at your mum. And you love him too, don't you?"

"I do," Rose said, surprised that her father had caught on. "Very much."

"Very well then," said Ron, sighing. "Just make sure you make time for your old man, Rosie."

"You're not old, Daddy," Rose laughed. "And I'll always have time for you," she said, kissing his cheek. "So…you're okay with me dating Scorpius, then?"

"Well, it's not like I can do anything about it. You've chosen him, and I know better than to get on your bad side. You're a lot like your mother in that regard. Are you sure you don't want to follow your mother into the Ministry? You'd put fear in all of the Wizengamot, you know."

"I'm sure, although Scorpius has told me pretty much the same thing."

"Just be sure he treats you right, Rosie. You don't deserve anything less than the best."

"Oh, he does, Daddy. He adores me. And he's actually told me before that I shouldn't settle for anything less than a man who will love all of me…who knew that man would be him?"

Ron nodded. "What time is he coming over?"

"He should be here in about an hour and a half. Why?"

"Why don't you, me, and Hugo go out and practice a bit of Quidditch for an hour or so?"

"That sounds fun, Daddy. Just don't try to sneak a Bludger in and then try and hit Scorpius with it."

"I would never, Rosie. You and your mother would hex me in a heartbeat. I'll refrain from overly goading the boy—it is Christmas, after all—but I can't help but tease him a little."

"I guess I'll have to accept that—I tease him too, you know. Just do not bring up his parents, unless you're asking about the food his mum cooks. There is such a thing as boundaries, Daddy."

"Very well, Rosie. I'll contain myself. His father may still be the world's biggest git—don't look at me like that, Rosie, you didn't know the elder Malfoy when he was your age—but your Scorpius isn't like that."

"No, he's not. Please, Daddy, I want everything to go smoothly tonight."

"And it will, Rosie—as smoothly as any Weasley event will go. You don't have to worry about it."

Rose smiled. Scorpius and her mum had told her often that she had Ron wrapped around her little finger, but until tonight, she hadn't realized how true that was.

Ron stood up. "How about that Quidditch practice, Rosie?"

"Sure, Daddy," Rose said, and they went off to find Hugo.

* * *

 

An hour later, an exhausted but excited Rose sat in the living room reading while waiting for Scorpius to arrive. She was so engrossed in her book—another one borrowed from the Malfoy library—that she nearly didn't hear the sound of someone arriving by Floo. Looking up, she saw Scorpius step out of the fireplace. He grinned at the sight of her—she was sitting sideways in an overstuffed armchair, legs dangling over one of the armrests. She quickly shut her book, jumped out of the chair, and hurled herself across the room and into his arms. She snuggled into his warm chest for a moment, reveling in having his arms around her again. She'd become quite accustomed to his hugs over the two years they had been just friends, and he had been loath to let her go for the two days they had together after the Yule Ball. She spent much of those two days perched in his lap, his arms wrapped around her, even while they hung out with their friends.

Pulling back slightly, she stretched up on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss on his neck just below his ear. Pleased at the low rumble that came from his throat upon her touch, she kissed the underside of his jaw and would have gone back to the spot below his ear had Scorpius not backed up to arms' length—reluctantly so.

(She knew it wasn't a good idea to start making out with her boyfriend in her parents' living room, but that didn't mean she didn't want to.)

"Hello, love," Scorpius said softly, pushing a curl back behind Rose's ear before capturing her lips in a searing but chaste kiss.

"Hello to you, too, Scorp," Rose said, smiling up at him.

"If I knew I would get this kind of reaction from you after not seeing you for a couple of days, I would have planned to stay away more often," Scorpius told her, smirking.

"Oh really?" Rose asked. "I don't think that would work."

"You don't?" Scorpius asked, drawing her closer again.

"No," Rose said, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. "You can't bear to stay away from me," she remarked, sending him a smirk of her own.

"True enough," Scorpius admitted, bending down to kiss her again.

After they finally pulled away, Scorpius glanced around the Weasleys' living room.

"What are you doing?" Rose asked. He had been there before; it wasn't like it was an entirely new experience for him.

"For some reason, I keep thinking that James or Al or even Lily is going to pop out from behind a door, like they've been spying on us."

"Well, they're not here. It's just me and you and Mum and Dad and Hugo."

"Not sure whether that's a good thing or a bad thing," Scorpius mumbled.

"Why not?"

"Well, if James and/or Al were here, then I could at least try and hide behind one of them in case your dad decides to make sure his Auror skills are still intact by using me as target practice. Love you, Rosie, but you're too short to provide much protection."

Rose scoffed. "Daddy won't do anything of the sort. I had a talk with him over an hour ago. He's been told he has to behave. Mum is telling him much the same thing now, I think."

"And we all know how much your dad adores you and your mum. I hope you're right, Rosie, and that he doesn't take things out on me, because I don't fancy being beat up by my girlfriend's dad, no matter if he helped save the Wizarding world or not."

"He won't beat you up, Scorp. He knows he'll have to answer to me and Mum if he even puts a toe out of line. That said, please try not to antagonize him. You need to be on your best behavior, Scorp. That means not stealing the last piece of the pie, no matter how good it looks. Let him win that round, at least."

"Now Rosie, when have I ever not been on my best behavior?" Scorpius said, pretending to be affronted.

"We don't have all day, Scorp."

Scorpius huffed, and Rose took the opportunity to walk across the living room towards the kitchen, where she knew her mum and dad were, dragging Scorpius along behind her. "Mum! Dad! Hugo! Scorp's here!"

It was a funny contrast to when Rose had met Scorpius' parents—there was no formality here. Then again, Scorpius had met Hermione and Ron years before, and was friends with Hugo, so that made a huge difference. The fact remained, however, that the Weasleys readily dispensed with formality—with such a large extended family and network of friends that might as well have been family, it was nearly impossible to maintain much order.

Hermione appeared first. "Hello, Scorpius, nice to see you again."

"Good to see you as well, Mrs. Weasley. My parents send their greetings."

"Please, Scorpius, for the millionth time, it's Hermione. Best wishes to your parents—we received a lovely basket from your mother this morning, filled with all kinds of sauces and jellies. I think Ron already got into one jar," she said, rolling her eyes in exasperated fondness at her husband's continuing love for food.

"She spent two days canning," Scorpius answered. "The kitchen still smells like tomatoes. Dad and I can't stand it. We love the results, of course, but the process…well, it's a little messy and smelly for our tastes."

"Careful, Scorp, your Malfoy is showing," Rose murmured. She couldn't help but wonder what Scorpius would look like with tomato paste all in his hair—he really would be an honorary Weasley then!

It was almost funny how quickly Astoria Malfoy and Hermione Granger-Weasley had become firm friends. True to Scorpius' prediction, his mother had owled Hermione a week after Rose's visit to the manor, and the two women had met for lunch a couple of days later. At first the two had bonded over their children's friendship—both had recognized the depth of Scorpius and Rose's feelings for one another and had hoped that one of them would make a move. However, subsequent lunches found the two witches discussing their charitable pursuits. While now head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Hermione still had many connections and friendships with those who had fought for change after the War, and she herself still campaigned on occasion and kept up donations. She was delighted to hear of the Malfoys' foundation, especially after hearing that Teddy Lupin had been one of the first to benefit from the charity. Hermione had offered to make a donation to their foundation, which Astoria and Draco had politely declined. They were grateful for (and in Draco's case, surprised at) Hermione's offer, but preferred to fund everything from their own stores. Hermione had then asked if she could auction something off and send part of the proceeds to their foundation as one of many charities receiving donations, and the Malfoys had agreed. Hermione had then proceeded to auction off one of her many copies of Hogwarts: A History, signed by her, with the proceeds benefiting the Malfoy foundation as well as various others, such as one promoting literacy and one dedicated to the maintenance of retired or infirm house elves.

"I wonder where my husband and son have gotten to," Hermione mused. "Ronald! Hugo!"

Ron appeared a few seconds later. Rose could see a bit of jelly on his chin and dried sauce on his hands. "Sorry, 'Mione," he said. "Scorpius," he nodded at the young man standing next to Rose. "Thank your mother for the sauce and jelly, they are delicious."

"I'll do that, Mr. Weasley."

"Looks like your mum has unknowingly found the way to mollify my dad," Rose whispered to Scorpius as Hermione noticed the evidence of Ron's afternoon snack. "Just give him some food and everything's good."

Scorpius chuckled, and Hugo appeared. "Scorp, hey, mate!" Hugo came over and shook Scorpius' hand, and the two friends clapped each other on the back.

"Good to see you, mate," Scorpius said.

"You'll never guess what came this morning, Scorp," said Hugo. Rose rolled her eyes—she knew exactly what her brother was talking about.

"What?"

"The next edition of _Fantasy Quidditch League_ ," Hugo said, grinning.

After the war, many wizards had adapted Muggle technology for use in the Wizarding world. Harry and Hermione had been at the forefront of encouraging this development—they thought it would be a good first step for those who were born into the Wizarding world to see how much Muggles could accomplish without magic. Wizards had adapted music players, cell phones, computers, and video games for their use. Video games were a huge hit with wizards of all ages, although Harry had put his foot down when a company asked him if they could make a video game series based on his adventures. He didn't want to give kids the idea that his adventures had been fun or a lark—they were anything but. Hermione and Ron had backed him up on this point.

"Are you serious? That game doesn't even come out until after the new year!" Scorpius exclaimed.

"Yup!" Hugo answered. "Mum's old friend Viktor Krum sent it. He got us advance copies of the other games, too. Dad was a little annoyed at first, but he loves those games. That way he gets his Quidditch fix when it's too cold or rainy to play. Rose?" he asked. "D'you mind if I show Scorp the game? I promise not to hog him the whole time he's here."

Scorpius turned to Rose, silently pleading with her to say yes. Rose laughed—as if she'd get in the way. "Sure, I don't mind."

She'd barely answered and Hugo was rushing over to the entertainment console, getting the game out. "I was playing it earlier this morning, but we can start a new game. This edition has so many new features and new players…" Rose heard her brother tell Scorpius.

She turned to her parents. Hermione was shaking her head at the two boys and Ron sat on the couch, dividing his time between watching the game and checking the sports section of the Daily Prophet.

"Rose, honey, can you come help me finish up some things in the kitchen?" Hermione asked.

Rose was setting the table and keeping an eye on the bread warming when Hermione spoke. "I'm glad Scorpius could come."

"So am I," said Rose. "I didn't really want the first time he came to a family function as my boyfriend to be Christmas at the Burrow. He would have been bombarded all night."

"You're right. Between George and Ron and James and Fred, he wouldn't have been able to even eat in peace," Hermione said, chuckling.

"You didn't seem surprised when I wrote you that Scorpius and I were dating," said Rose.

"Not really. We all saw that coming," answered Hermione.

"'We'? Who is this 'we'?" Rose asked, raising an eyebrow.

Hermione had the good grace to look a little flustered. "Well, myself of course, and Ginny. Angelina and Astoria, too, after a while. Even Harry figured it out, and I think Ron did too."

"You mean practically everyone knew how Scorpius and I feel about each other even before we started dating? Even Scorp's mum?"

"Oh, honey, you can't tell me you didn't realize how Scorpius felt about you. He's been crazy about you for years."

Rose blushed, and that was all the answer Hermione needed. "You are so much like your father sometimes. It took him ages to figure out how I felt about him and how he felt about me."

"When did you figure out that Scorpius had feelings for me?"

"I first suspected during your fourth year, when Scorpius had played that horrible prank and then went to such drastic lengths to get back on your good side. It takes a lot for a young man to swallow his pride, especially a Malfoy, and when you wrote and said that he had offered to do anything within reason to make you stop being mad at him, well, it became clear to me that he cared for you a great deal. I just didn't know how much. So I watched him that next summer and paid attention to how you interacted with him. Then your letters from school started arriving, and with each one I became more convinced that he liked you very much. I asked Ginny if she had noticed anything, and she had. We've been watching you two ever since. As for Scorpius' mum, Astoria suspected much the same thing. Apparently Scorpius has talked about you for years, sometimes even more than he mentioned Al. She wasn't sure about how he felt until fourth year, but Scorpius' feelings have been clearer and clearer every year since, especially after you went to the Manor last summer. We just didn't know how strongly you felt about him—we knew you cared, just not how much."

Rose mused over everything her mother had said. She couldn't believe that she had apparently been the last to learn of Scorpius' feelings for her. Even her uncle Harry and her father had figured things out before she did!

"But you do love him, don't you?" Hermione asked, turning away from the pot on the stove and looking straight at her daughter.

"I do," said Rose. "Very, very much. He challenges me—he's the only true rival I have. I love bickering with him. I love his wit and his cleverness. He makes me laugh, even though sometimes his antics are annoying. He matches me in intelligence; he loves to read too, and is always up for a good debate. He understands me—sometimes I think he knows me better than I know myself. I know I can always count on him. He's always been there, whether I liked it or not.

"He does have his faults, though, don't get me wrong. He's the most annoying person I have ever met. He knows just how to get under my skin, how to push my buttons. He drives me crazy, and not always in a good way. He can be moody and grumpy, especially in the morning. He actually had a coffee maker installed in the common room in the Heads' suite just so he could have his morning coffee, which was actually a good thing, because he becomes a lot less grumpy after that first cup. Anyway, he still doesn't understand why I continue to support the Chudley Cannons, and he will never let me live it down that he has blown my scores out of the water in Potions every year. But in spite of that," she said softly, "at the end of the day, there is no one else I want by my side."

"You're very lucky, Rose, to have found someone who loves you so much and who you love so much so early in life. The two of you are so good together," said Hermione, smiling at her daughter's assessment of her boyfriend.

"I know," answered Rose. "I know we're only eighteen, but I already know—he's it for me, Mum. He's it. There's no one else."

"I can tell, Rosie. And you're not too young. I was sixteen when I realized I wanted to spend the rest of my life with your father, and we were eighteen when we finally got together, although we didn't get married for a couple of years after that. Just be sure to enjoy being together for now—you don't have to rush anything," Hermione said, pointing a spoon at her daughter to make sure Rose understood she was serious. "Your father and I would prefer to not become grandparents for a few years."

"Mum!" Rose exclaimed, blushing. "We're…we're not even…we've only been dating for a few days, Mum. We're nowhere near the point where children or grandchildren could even become an issue."

"I didn't think you were," Hermione said, knowing what her daughter was saying and glad for it. "That said, just enjoy being with Scorpius for the time being."

"I am," Rose said. "Honestly, I think we're still getting used to the fact that we don't have to hide our feelings anymore. It's strange, but freeing."

"I'm just glad you've found someone like Scorpius," Hermione replied. "The two of you are perfect for each other."

"I know," said Rose. "I'm very lucky."

"Dinner's pretty much ready," said Hermione. "Why don't you call everyone else in?"

After Rose managed to pry Scorpius and Hugo from their video game, everyone settled in at the table.

"So, Scorpius, what are your plans for the rest of the holiday? Coming to the Burrow like usual?" Hermione asked, passing Ron a bowl full of potatoes.

"Yeah," said Scorpius, cutting off a piece of roast to join the pile already on his plate, "I'll come to the Burrow Christmas evening after my family finishes celebrating. I'll stay for a couple of days like usual, but when I go back home, I was going to ask if Rose could come with me. Did she tell you that Mum invited her over?" When Hermione nodded, Scorpius continued. "Mum really wants to see her. Dad would like to as well, although he'll never say it out loud. Rose could spend the day with us and then come back here. I'll be here for the New Year's party too, and then go back home for a few more days before it's time to head back to Hogwarts."

"You'll definitely be busy," said Hermione. "It's fine with us if Rose goes to the Manor again, isn't it, Ron?"

Ron nodded, focusing intently on his food. "Rose? Those plans okay with you?"

"Of course," Rose told her mother. "I thought that would be the plan anyway."

The conversation drifted into different topics for a while—Scorpius and Hugo were telling Rose more about the new video game, as Hugo had hogged it all morning. "We'll have to have a tournament when we're all at the Burrow," said Hugo. "Scorp, do you have to leave right after dinner?"

"No, not unless your dad throws me out," Scorpius said.

"He won't do that. Mum and Rose would kill him. Anyway, why don't you and Rosie and me play a few games after dinner? We could go round robin. Rose? You in?"

"Sure, sounds fun. You wouldn't even let me touch the game this morning, Hugo. It's only fair that I get a turn."

"You sound like Mum did when we were little, talking about fairness and sharing," said Hugo. "Do I look like I'm five?"

"No," said Rose. "But you act like it sometimes."

Hugo glared at her, making Rose and Scorpius laugh.

"Rosie, love, looks like someone stole your patented glare," Scorpius teased. "Word to the wise, Hugo, that really only works when Rosie's glaring."

"We used to wish for years that the two of you would get along, and now the two of you are ganging up on my son," Hermione said, fighting a smile.

"Scorp and Hugo ganged up on me for years, Mum, it's about time I returned the favor," said Rose.

"I do believe my Slytherin side is rubbing off on you, love," mumbled Scorpius, causing Rose to roll her eyes.

"Like my Gryffindor side hasn't rubbed off on you any," she said.

Before Scorpius could answer, the couple heard Hermione and Ron laugh and turned to face Rose's parents.

"Sounds like you and me when we were younger, 'Mione," said Ron.

"It sounds like the two of you now," muttered Hugo, causing Ron and Hermione to laugh again.

"I have to admit, it is still somewhat odd to see the two of you getting along," Hermione said to Rose and Scorpius. "I remember not that long ago, Scorpius, you spent most of Christmas dinner at the Burrow—when you weren't eating, that is—tearing up pieces of bread and throwing them in Rose's hair."

Scorpius chuckled. "Well, not many people can pull off the breadcrumb look, but dearest Rosie here can."

"I remember that," said Rose. "It took me forever to get all the pieces out of my hair!"

"I just wanted to see how many I could hide in there before you discovered what I was doing," Scorpius said, shrugging.

"You wanted to rile her up, too," said Hermione.

"Of course," answered Scorpius, as if that should have been obvious. "Not much is more fun than riling up Rose."

"Plus, you wanted her attention," said Hermione knowingly.

"That too," Scorpius admitted.

"Well, you better not try that again, Scorpius," said Rose. "I left crumbs _everywhere_. I felt like Hansel and Gretel."

"Who?" said Scorpius.

"Never mind," said Rose.

"Anyway, that was kiddie stuff," scoffed Scorpius. "This year, I'm thinking I'll just stick all the Christmas bows in your hair. That'll take even longer to get out, especially if I use the ones with the sticky backs on them."

"You do that, and I'll take all the leftover ribbon, tie you up so you can't get to me, and tie your mouth shut for good measure," Rose countered.

"Wrapping me up like a present, Rosie? Does that mean I get to be your present?" Scorpius whispered in her ear, making her shiver and blush.

"Scorpius!" she hissed. He tweaked her nose and she glared at him. Both of them seemed to have forgotten that Rose's parents and Hugo were there.

Fortunately for Scorpius, Hermione brought out a pie before Rose could give him a thorough scolding. Rose had actually never been so glad to see a pie in her life. She knew that the argument between her and Scorpius could only end in one of two ways: either her kissing him senseless or slapping him silly-and neither option was appropriate.

That didn't mean she didn't briefly entertain the thought of throwing the pie in his face, though.

* * *

 

True to his word, Scorpius had let Ron have the last piece of the pie, which seemed to improve Ron's mood slightly. He had even joined Scorpius and Hugo in a discussion of the latest broom on the market—the Nimbus 5000—and whether it truly would be better than previous models. Rose thought it was ludicrous that broom makers came out with new models every year or two; she saw it as a ploy for money and said so. That started up a rousing discussion of whether the broom market was after money only or whether they were constantly developing new brooms to improve on old designs and to stay relevant.

Hermione had wisely stayed out of that discussion, and it had been shelved for further debate at the Burrow in a few days when they all returned to the living room.

Rose was conscious of her father keeping an eye on her and Scorpius—he had been doing so all night—and so did not sit in her boyfriend's lap, even though she wanted to. Instead, she sat beside him on the couch and curled into his side, her feet tucked under her and his arm draped about her shoulders.

Scorpius was gently rubbing circles into her upper arm and Rose had nearly drifted off to sleep when she heard her mother's voice interrupt the silence.

"Ronald, I know you have something to say. Just say it already."

"'Mione, I promised Rosie I wouldn't antagonize her and the boy too much…"

"Go on, Ronald. Whatever you have to say, it's been eating at you all night. It can't be too bad, or you would have just blurted it out like you usually do."

Rose heard her father sigh, and she sat up straighter when she heard her father address her boyfriend.

"Scorpius," Ron began, "I have a couple of questions for you—ones Hermione's father asked me when it became apparent how serious we were."

"Ronald," Hermione said.

"'Mione, you told me to ask!"

"I know. But don't you remember how you felt when my father asked you those questions? You were embarrassed and nervous. Have some sympathy on the poor boy, please. You were once in his shoes."

"I remember, Hermione. I didn't understand where your father was coming from then—but I do now." Ron turned to Scorpius again. "Scorpius, you love my daughter, don't you?"

"Yes, sir, I do," answered Scorpius firmly. "Wholeheartedly."

Ron looked a little surprised at the conviction in Scorpius' tone. Rose was hoping that her father wouldn't press too much further. Who knew what kind of questions he would ask!

"And so you realize how special Rosie is."

"Yes, I know just how special our Rose is," Scorpius said, a hint of mischief in his tone.

"Why doesn't it sound like you're giving me a compliment?" asked Rose.

"Good," said Ron, who had apparently missed the mischief or chose to ignore it. "See that you treat her accordingly. She deserves the best."

"I know she does, and I will," said Scorpius. "I wouldn't dare do otherwise. I don't relish the thought of Rose and her entire family coming after me if I hurt her—not to mention the fact that I never want to cause her pain. I have a healthy sense of self-preservation, you know."

Rose saw the corners of her father's mouth lift just a bit at Scorpius' words. "Then would it be too much to ask what your intentions are towards my daughter?"

To his credit, Scorpius didn't blanch. "Possibly," he said smoothly at the same time that Rose shouted "Dad!" Hermione and Hugo looked amused—and very interested in Scorpius' response.

"However, I don't think you'll let me out of here without me telling you, so I will. I love Rose, and I have for years. I intend to remain at her side for as long as she'll let me. On the off chance that she decides she doesn't want to be with me anymore"—Scorpius looked pained at even the thought of Rose leaving him—"I would stick around anyway to try and win her back."

"I'd never want to leave you," Rose told Scorpius. He smiled at her before continuing. "I'm a Slytherin—we know what we want, and we go after it. And I want to be with Rose, to love her as she deserves. I'm a Malfoy, and we deserve the best. And Rose is the best."

Rose grinned at Scorpius, kissing him soundly on the cheek. Then she turned to Ron, who looked surprised at the strength of Scorpius' words but resigned to the fact that Scorpius Malfoy made his daughter happy and that he absolutely adored Rose. "See, Daddy," Rose said. "I told you that you didn't have to worry. I don't like that you completely sprung those questions on him out of the blue, but I have no complaints about Scorpius' answers."

"And Ron, don't you remember saying much the same things to my father? Maybe not in those exact words, but your sentiments were the same," Hermione told her husband gently.

Ron nodded at his wife and turned to his daughter and her boyfriend. "Very well. Thank you for your honesty, young Malfoy. I think we would both agree that we want the best for Rose, yeah?"

"Exactly, Mr. Weasley," said Scorpius.

* * *

 

Later on, Scorpius had soundly beaten Hugo and Hugo had narrowly beaten Rose at _Fantasy Quidditch_. Rose and Scorpius were in the middle of an intense game—both still retained their need to compete with each other at various times. Rose was slightly ahead of Scorpius but he was hanging in there. Ron watched the games with interest while Hermione read.

When Rose finally beat Scorpius, her digital Seeker catching the Snitch decisively, she pumped her fist in the air. "Yes! Take that, Scorp!"

Scorpius narrowed his eyes. "You might have won this game, but tell me, Rosie, who won more Quidditch games at Hogwarts when we were both on teams?"

"Well, I played from third through sixth years, and we met once each year during the season, and twice we played each other for the Cup, so we played each other six times. If I remember right—and I do—Slytherin won three and Gryffindor won three. So we're even."

"What about games of Quidditch at the Burrow? When we played on opposite sides, who won more?"

"You actually remember that?!"

"Of course," Scorpius said. "And if I remember correctly, which of course I do, my side is one game ahead of yours."

"But I won this game," Rose countered. "So we're even again."

"You're going to count a video game in the tally?"

"Well, you counted pick-up games at the Burrow."

"I want a rematch," said Scorpius, beginning to sulk a little.

"Oh, you'll get one. Fantasy Quidditch tournament at the Burrow in a few days, remember?"

"Merlin! Will you two ever stop arguing?!" Hugo shouted suddenly.

"Nope," Rose and Scorpius said simultaneously.

"We like arguing with each other. It's fun and invigorating. Keeps us on our toes," said Rose.

"She just likes to be kept on her toes so she can be taller," Scorpius stage-whispered to Hugo.

"I heard that," Rose snapped.

"Needless to say, Hugo, we'll never stop arguing because we get too much of a kick out of it. You'd think you'd be used to it by now," Scorpius said.

"I'm starting to feel sympathy for Al," Hugo muttered.

Just then, Scorpius' wand started emitting green sparks. "Scorp?" asked Rose. "What's with your wand?"

Scorpius looked at it and frowned slightly. "That would be my mother's way of saying it's time for me to come home." He looked at the conventional clock on the wall that hung next to Ron and Hermione's version of Mrs. Weasley's Weasley clock. "It is almost 11. I guess that's my cue to leave. Don't want my mum mad at me."

Rose sighed. "Yeah, I guess you'd better."

The three teenagers stood, Scorpius making his way to Ron and Hermione, who had been sitting on the couch watching the bickering with amusement. "Thank you for having me," Scorpius said politely but sincerely.

"Of course, Scorpius. You're welcome any time," Hermione said, shaking his hand.

"Mr. Weasley, I hope things are good between us?" Scorpius asked, sticking his hand out for the older man to shake and looking a bit nervous—well, as nervous as a Malfoy got.

"Yes," said Ron, giving Scorpius' hand a firm shake. "I just want my Rosie to be happy, and I have to admit, she is with you."

Scorpius smiled. "Thank you. I'll see you all in a few days at the Burrow."

Rose walked Scorpius over to the fireplace. "I'm so glad you got to come. It went better than I thought it would when I first invited you over. I still don't like how my dad put you on the spot with those questions, even though they were pretty tame compared to what he could have come up with."

"I didn't mind answering, honestly. I'd rather have my girlfriend's father on my good side, especially if he is Ron Weasley, war hero."

"Your words were so sweet," Rose told him, wrapping her arms loosely about his neck. "Thank you for that. I knew you could be a sap with me, but I didn't realize that you would willingly, openly show that to others."

"I meant every word," Scorpius said softly, leaning his head down so his forehead touched hers. "And while I usually would prefer to keep my sappiness between us, I figured it would be to my advantage if I showed it in front of your father. Like I said, I want him on my good side."

"How very Slytherin of you," Rose said, chuckling.

"I get to be with you," said Scorpius. "Makes it all worth it, don't you think?"

"Very much so," said Rose, pulling his head down more so she could kiss him slowly. "I love you," she whispered when she finally pulled away, out of breath from his kisses.

"I love you too, Rosie."

"Tell your parents hello, and that I'll see them in a few days."

"And I'll see you on Christmas."

"I hope you like the present I got you," Rose said, kissing him one last time before reluctantly pulling away.

"I got you to finally date me, and I found out you love me," Scorpius said, grabbing a pinch of Floo powder. "Seems like Christmas came early this year."

Rose laughed. "And I finally realized how much you love me. I think Christmas came early for both of us."

"Well, we are Gryffindor and Slytherin—red and green," Scorpius said. "Bye, love. See you in a couple of days."

"Love you, Scorp," Rose said, and Scorpius grinned at her before throwing the Floo powder in the fireplace, stepping in, and calling out "Malfoy Manor!"

As the green flames crackled and transported her boyfriend back to his house, Rose mused on the holiday season so far. She'd confessed her love to Scorpius; he had assured her of his love; they were now together; and dinner with her family had gone well, all things considered.

The actual date might be two days away still, and they might still have dinner with the Weasley-Potter clan and friends to conquer, but it was already shaping up to be the best Christmas yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed part two of Meet the Parents! What did you think of Scorpius' first introduction as Rose's boyfriend? Did you have a favorite scene or line? Let me know in a review! I don't know if I'm doing a good job unless you drop me a line.
> 
> Next chapter: Coda-Hermione & Ron


	4. Coda: Hermione & Ron

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter of Meet the Parents! Thank you to everyone who has followed, favorited, and reviewed! This story has definitely been an undertaking. I am playing around with a new story idea, but it may be a while before I post anything. All I can say is that it will be a post-Hogwarts Rose/Scorp multichapter with background Draco/Hermione :)
> 
> Much thanks to my wonderful beta readers, BeanerWeasley and sirenofodysseus. You two are the best. :)
> 
> Disclaimer: Don't own!

**Coda: Hermione & Ron**

 

When Rose and Scorpius went over to the fireplace to say goodbye, Hermione and Ron went to the kitchen.

"Well, I managed not to maim or injure the Malfoy, so I think tonight should be counted a success," Ron told his wife.

"Ron!" scolded Hermione.

"I'm kidding, 'Mione. Mostly," Ron added the last word under his breath.

"I thought it went well, too. Although I was surprised when you asked Scorpius those questions. I thought we had another month at least before we had to deal with that conversation," Hermione answered, choosing to ignore her husband's muttering.

"Well, 'Mione, you were the one who told me to speak my mind. And if I remember correctly, didn't your father ask me those questions the first time I met him, after you had restored your parents' memories?"

"Yes," acknowledged Hermione. "However, circumstances were a bit different. We were older then, and had just come through a war! My father took one look at you and knew that anyone who had traveled halfway around the world to be with his daughter on such an emotionally charged journey cared about me a great deal. He'd met you before, of course, but as a kid. Not as the man you'd become."

"Your father just wanted to make sure I would treat you well. I was doing the same thing for Rosie. I'm surprised that Scorpius admitted everything so easily, though."

"I think he was trying to remain on your good side—and Rose's—by admitting his feelings to us. He wasn't about to clam up, not about something so important in front of his girlfriend and her parents. He wanted to make sure we understand that he's with Rose and he's not giving her up. Motivation aside, that doesn't make his statements any less true."

Ron simply nodded. He knew Hermione was right—and she articulated the matter much more clearly than he ever could.

Hermione and Ron cleared the table, Ron sneaking the last of the pie crumbs. "We've done well, haven't we, 'Mione?" he asked, looking fondly at his wife.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we've known each other over thirty years now, been married for over twenty. We've got two great kids and an enormous family and somehow you're still here."

"Where else would I be?" she asked, taken aback. "You don't always make it easy, but you do make it worth it."

He smiled at her and kissed her cheek. "Love you, 'Mione."

She grinned and kissed him in return. "I love you, too."

"I can't wait 'til Christmas," he said, flopping down at the table while Hermione cast a charm to wash the dishes.

"Why? Tonight's dinner not enough for you?" Hermione teased.

"Nah. I'm looking forward to Christmas dinner, but I'm really looking forward to everyone ganging up on the young Malfoy. George has some new products he wants to test….and you know he'll start collecting on the bets as soon as Rosie and Scorpius show up hand-in-hand. Malfoy won't realize until it's too late that a den of lions can be worse than a den of snakes."

"Ronald!"

"What? It's the truth. If he's going to stick around, he better get used to being heckled more than usual."

Hermione simply chuckled. "Merlin help the people who marry into this family," she sighed, shaking her head. There was never a dull moment when a Weasley was involved, that was for sure.

"Wait a minute," Ron said suddenly. "Does that mean I have to play nice with Ferret Senior?"

"Yes, Ronald," Hermione scolded. "You can at least be civil to Malfoy. You've met Astoria, and you like her."

"Yes, she's a very nice woman. However, her judgment must be a little off if she married Malfoy."

"Ronald. Please. You know as well as I do that Draco changed. He may be aloof still, but he's no longer a bully or a Death Eater. He and his wife have done an excellent job raising Scorpius. I don't think you'll have to worry about him provoking you whenever you do end up in the same vicinity. Astoria seems to have him on a short leash. She won't tolerate any shenanigans, and neither will I. Besides," Hermione added with a slight grin, "I think she told him that I would hit him again if he stepped a toe out of line."

Ron couldn't help but laugh at the thought of his wife getting the best of Draco Malfoy—again. "You wouldn't do that, though, would you, 'Mione?" he asked, knowing his wife's usual distaste for any form of violence.

"No, I wouldn't—but he doesn't have to know that."

"Fine. I'll try to hold my tongue if I ever run into Malfoy. For Rosie's sake, and for yours. Don't fancy you being mad at me."

"Good," said Hermione, sitting down next to her husband.

"Any idea what presents I'll be getting this year?" Ron asked, grinning at his wife.

"Honestly, Ronald, you'd think you were five. I'm not going to tell you about any of the presents you're getting. You'll just have to wait like the rest of us. You'll get to open one present tomorrow anyway."

"Any idea what the others are getting, then?"

"You just want to find out what the others are getting because that narrows down the options of what you'll be getting," Hermione said pointedly. "But I can tell you what Rosie got Scorpius."

"Oh, Merlin, do I want to know?"

"She got him a state-of-the-art potions set so he can set up his own lab and not have to borrow his father's supplies. He's adamant about testing new uses for potions, she told me. It's one reason he wants to be a Healer—to find alternative cures for certain illnesses or diseases. Having his own lab will make things easier."

"Can't say I fault him for that."

"No, he's a good young man, perfect for our Rose."

"I just hope things don't blow up in our faces," Ron said wryly, making Hermione laugh at his allusion to potions.

"They won't. Think of it this way, Ronald—in about ten years, we could have grandchildren running around."

"Grandchildren?" repeated Ron, looking positively boy-like with joy at the thought.

"Oh yes. We can play with them, feed them all kinds of sweets, and then send them home."

"Don't feel old enough to be a grandpa, although I guess that's really not that far away," Ron answered. "But it will be nice to hear little feet running around here again."

"Definitely."

"This is going to be a good Christmas, 'Mione. I can feel it."

"You say that every year, Ron."

"It's true, isn't it? Things have settled down since the war, but we always manage to have a lot of fun."

"I think this year will be more memorable than most, what with Rose and Scorpius finally getting their act together," answered Hermione.

"No doubt about that. Just don't try to bring the Malfoys over for some extra holiday cheer."

"No, I wouldn't want to subject them to a Weasley-Potter Christmas this soon," said Hermione, laughing. "I did, however, think about inviting them for dinner over the Easter holidays, or after graduation."

"You're serious, aren't you 'Mione? I was only joking."

"I'm serious. You said you'd try to be civil. The war is long over. Maybe Rose and Scorpius' relationship can finally heal some of the lingering wounds."

"Yes, yes, peace on earth, goodwill toward men and all of that."

"Ronald, I'm serious."

"I know, 'Mione. I know. He really is good for her. Never thought I'd approve of a Malfoy dating my daughter, but I do."

"Well, Christmas is a time for miracles, after all," grinned Hermione.

The war had been over for years, but life with the Weasley-Potters—and now including the Malfoys—would never be dull.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's the end of Meet the Parents! Please drop me a line to tell me what you thought! I crave reviews. :)

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed Part One of Meet the Parents. What did you think about the Malfoys? Were you surprised at Rose's insistence on going to the Manor? Let me know your thoughts on these questions and any other comments you might have in a review!
> 
> Next, we'll have a little interlude of sorts, looking a little more about what Draco and Astoria think of Scorpius and Rose.
> 
> Again, please don't forget to leave a review! Your comments keep me going!


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